Analysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne's: Artist Of The Beautiful

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Hawthorne’s: Artist of the Beautiful Nathaniel Hawthorne presents short stories in the form of symbols with reflecting dark vision of human nature. Hawthorne frequently focused on Puritanism as an expression of humanity’s potential for cruelty, obsession, as well as intolerance. Nathaniel’s particular style of symbolism and fascination with the macabre brought influence into the stories of The Marble Faun, Artist of the Beautiful and The Blithedale Romance.

During Hawthorne’s early years he did not do much writing in those times he was secluded. (152) Family brought Nathaniel from a line of staunch Puritans starting with William Hawthorne who was an ardent defender of the faith who participated in the persecution of Quakers during the seventeenth century, and his son, John Hawthorne, a presiding judge at the infamous Salem witch trials. (152) Nathaniel Hawthorne therefore spent much time alone during his childhood, developing an intensely introspective nature and eventually coming to believe that the misfortunes of his immediate family were the result of divine retribution …show more content…
Imperfection, Hawthorne asserts, is an integral part of humanity; to remove it is to remove life. (153) Nathaniel suggests that the problem for both men lies in their inability to recognize and cope with the inherent duality of human nature, which combines the potential for sublime goodness with a strong tendency toward shocking baseness. (153) Initially the complexity of Hawthorne’s allegories frequently results in narrative ambiguity, thus giving rise to varied, and in some cases diametrically opposed, critical interpretations. (153) Lastly, Hawthorne’s tales function as moral fables only on the most superficial level, their true significance lying in their penetrating analysis of human psychology.
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