Nathaniel Hawthorne was best known for his novel The Scarlet Letter. However, Hawthorne wrote many other works, including a variety of short stories. Throughout these works, Hawthorne presents a certain theme and tone (often putting an emphasis on Puritan society and the guilt some Puritans felt), which one can better understand by delving into his life story. In truth, Hawthorne's life story greatly affected his writing. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. He was born into a Puritan family whothat had deep roots in the New England region. Hawthorne's family had been living in Salem since the 1600s. One of his early ancestors, William Hathorne, had been a part of the Salem Witchcraft Trials and …show more content…
In 1808, when Hawthorne was four years old, his father died of yellow fever. Hawthorne was raised by his mother, although his uncle, Robert Manning, provided financial aid which helped pay for Hawthorne's college education. Hawthorne was not particularly interested in attending college, but enrolled at Bowdoin College in 1821. While attending college, Hawthorne met several of his lifelong friends, including the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the future president Franklin Pierce. (http://www.egs.edu/library/nathaniel-hawthorne/biography/ …show more content…
He spent the years 1825 to 1837 in his mother's home, and later looked back on these years as a time of isolation. During these twelve years, Hawthorne wrote many short stories. In 1837, a collection of his works (entitled Twice-Told Tales) was published. This ended his period of solitude. He later published two additional collections: Mosses from an Old Manse (1846) and The Snow-Image (1851). He also published The Scarlet Letter in 1850 and later wrote The House of the Seven Gables. While the two latter were his most famous writings, he wrote a multitude of less popular short stories. Most of Hawthorne's works fell into the genre of Dark Romanticism, which focuses on the consequences of social reform and the fallibility of mankind. Hawthorne's writings were laced with guilt, which stemmed from the actions of William, his great-grandfather who was a judge during the Salem Witchcraft Trials. Based on his writings, it can be inferred that Hawthorne's ancestors and his life story played a large role in his writings. Most notably, Hawthorne wrote the campaign biography of Franklin Pierce, who was elected President in 1852. (Whitney, Terri. “Biographical Infromation Relating to Nathaniel Hawthorne:Introduction”). Hawthorne met Sophia Peabody, his future spouse, in Salem. The two were wed on July 9, 1842, five days after Hawthorne's thirty-eighth birthday. After the wedding, the couple moved to the city of Concord,