Major Issues
Author Links
Essay Questions

Major Issues

Historical critics have taken great interest in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s depiction of colonial New England, such as his portrayal of the attitudes and atmosphere that made possible the 17th century witch trials in Hawthorne’s hometown of Salem. Thematic studies of Hawthorne have also examined his interest in the dark side of Puritanism and Calvinism. In addition to his fictionalization of some of the darker aspects of America’s colonial past, scholars have also noted Hawthorne’s disapproving portrait of his contemporary time and his general pessimism about America’s destiny. Many studies of Hawthorne have focused on his employment of allegorical symbolism and the "imagistic logic" that pervades his work. Hawthorne is considered an important figure of the American Renaissance, alongside such writers as Emerson, Thoreau, and Melville

Author Links

Nathaniel Hawthorne
A well organized gateway site to Hawthorne resources on the web.

Nathaniel Hawthorne: 1804-1864
This bio-critical essay explains Hawthorne’s literary contribution to the American Renaissance and notes some of his relationships with other major American 19th century writers.

Nathaniel Hawthorne
Scroll down to find links to two chapters about Hawthorne which you can read online.

An Annotated "Young Goodman Brown"
This online version of the story includes explanatory notes for symbols and images.

"Young Goodman Brown"Page
This student-created page includes two essays, a link to the story, and a student interchange on the story.