A Study of Hawthorne

This study offers a portrait of Nathaniel Hawthorne that traces his New England origins and family connections in Salem, follows his boyhood, college years, and early publications, and analyzes the development and decline of his early tales alongside close readings of major works such as The Scarlet Letter. It situates his literary production within residences and communities like the Old Manse, Boston, Lenox, and Concord, reviews his time abroad in England and Italy, examines personal temperament and creative methods, compares him with contemporaries, and concludes with reflections on his late romances and a set of appendices that provide documentary and critical material.