Contents
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Writing The Scarlet Letter.
The House of the Seven Gables · New England fiction
- Born
- 4 July 1804
- Birthplace
- Salem, Massachusetts, United States
- Died
- 19 May 1864
More people
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne used New England’s past to explore guilt, secrecy and public judgement. His novels and short stories combine psychological observation with elements of romance and the supernatural.
Early life
Salem origins
His family included a judge involved in the Salem witch trials. His sea-captain father died when he was young.
Bowdoin College
Graduated in 1825, having formed friendships with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Franklin Pierce.
Career
- 1828–1837
Early publications
Published an anonymous first novel, then built a reputation through short stories.
- 1839–1849
Writing and customs work
Combined literary work with appointments in Boston and Salem customs houses.
- 1850–1852
Established novelist
A run of novels brought his strongest literary recognition.
- 1853–1857
Liverpool consul
Served as United States consul during Pierce’s presidency.
Selected work
Twice-Told Tales
Collected stories previously published in periodicals.
The Scarlet Letter
A woman punished for adultery confronts the hypocrisy of her Puritan community.
The House of the Seven Gables
A family’s inherited wrongs shadow life in an old house.
Beyond work
Marriage and children
Married artist Sophia Peabody in 1842; they had three children.
Concord home
The family’s house, The Wayside, later became part of Minute Man National Historical Park.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Mathew Benjamin Brady. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
