Old News / (From: "The Snow Image and Other Twice-Told Tales")

Name: Old News / (From: "The Snow Image and Other Twice-Told Tales")
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne

An essay examines a volume of fragile, early newspapers, using their worn pages to evoke the vanished public life they recorded. The author describes their physical appearance and notices how ephemeral print outlives its makers while preserving political debate, commercial notices, medical controversies, reports of storms and epidemics, crime and punishment, and lingering superstitions. These fragments illuminate a society marked by harsher weather, unsettled populations, frequent accidents, and strict social discipline, producing a portrait that is at once quaint, uneven, and more coarse and perilous than modern memory suggests.

By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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American Literature Essays, Letters & Speeches

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About the Author

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer, born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. He is best known for his exploration of moral complexity and the human condition, often set against the backdrop of New England's Puritan heritage. His notable works include "The Scarlet Letter," which delves into themes of sin and redemption, and "The House of the Seven Gables," a tale of guilt and retribution. Hawthorne's writing is characterized by its rich symbolism and psychological depth, making significant contributions to American literature. His stories often reflect his fascination with the darker aspects of human nature and the consequences of isolation.