Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)

A selective list of online literary criticism on Nathaniel Hawthorne, favoring signed articles by recognized scholars, articles published in reviewed sources, and web sites that adhere to the MLA Guidelines for Authors of Web Sites

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Introduction

"Nathaniel Hawthorne." Short Introduction to Hawthorne from The Heath Anthology of American Literature, with a brief bibliography. Also, teaching and discussing Hawthorne from Heath.

Tompkins, Jane. "Masterpiece Theater: The Politics of Hawthorne's Literary Reputation" analyzes why Hawthorne is considered a classic author. Sensational Designs: The Cultural Work of American Fiction, 1790-1860.

Hawthorne in Salem website. A National Endowment for the Humanities grant site, by Northshore Community College, Peabody Essex Museum, House of Seven Gables Historic Site, and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, ed. Eric Eldred. Includes links to editions (with notes on their text), other early criticism, and biographical information.

James, Henry. "The Early Years." Biography: Chapter I of Henry James's biography of Hawthorne. "Early Manhood." Chapter 11.

Brief summaries of critical approaches to Hawthorne, from Professor Jeff Gundy.

Daly, Robert. "Nathaniel Hawthorne." Literary Encyclopedia. Eds. Robert Clark, Emory Elliott, Janet Todd. An introduction to Hawthorne, from a database that provides signed literary criticism by experts in their field, and is available to individuals for a reasonably-priced subscription [subscription service].

Salem Witch Trials

Salem Witch Trials. Documentary archive and transcription project, includes verbatim transcriptions of court records, personal letters, historical maps, and information about the notable people involved in the trials. U of Virginia.

Famous American Trials: Salem Witch Trials, ed. Douglas O. Linder. History of witchcraft persecutions, an account of the events in Salem, teaching materials.

The Salem Witch Trials, ed. Donna Campbell. Background, the accused, reasons, suggestions for further reading, creative works inspired by the trials.

Literary Criticism

Hawthorne in Salem articles. A trove of more than 50 lectures and articles by authorities on Hawthorne are available. Sample titles: "Figurations of Salem in 'Young Goodman Brown' and 'The Custom-House,'" "The Secular Calling and the Protestant Ethic in The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables," "Christian Imagery in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter," "Hawthorne and 'The Sphere of Ordinary Womanhood,'" "The Meanings of Hawthorne's Women," "Subverting the Subversive: Hawthorne’s Containment of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter," "The Missing Mother in The House of the Seven Gables," "Passions of Hawthorne's New Eve: Female Desire in The Scarlet Letter," "Echoes of Hawthorne in Melville's Billy Budd," The Hawthorne-Melville Relationship," "Different from Himself: Hawthorne and the Masks of Masculinity,""Symbol and Interpretation in The Scarlet Letter," "Dark Romantics: Hawthorne and Poe,""Hawthorne and Longfellow: A Literary Friendship," "Hawthorne and Transcendentalism," and "Hawthorne's Salem." Also, the main entrance for the Hawthorne in Salem website. A National Endowment for the Humanities grant site, by Northshore Community College, Peabody Essex Museum, House of Seven Gables Historic Site, and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

Bercovitch, Sacvan. "The Scarlet Letter: A Twice-Told Tale," Nathaniel Hawthorne Review 22, 2 (Fall 1996).

(removed) Bercovitch, Sacvan. 'Democratic Aesthetics: Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter.' On The Scarlet Letter as the essential Romance of the American Way, and the novel’s three levels of meaning: (1) psychological and moral; (2) cultural and historical; and (3) aesthetic. From a lecture, web published.

Bercovitch, Sacvan. "The A-Politics of Ambiguity in The Scarlet Letter." New Literary History 19, 3 (Spring, 1988) [first page of article only]

Bunge, Nancy. A review of Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Study of the Short Fiction. Studies in Short Fiction, Fall 1994. Reviewed by John L. Idol, Jr.

Claisse, Dominique Régis "The Missing Mother in The House of the Seven Gables: A study in Feminine Nature." Hawthorne in Salem web site.

Christianson, Frank. "'Trading Places in Fancy': Hawthorne's Critique of Sympathetic Identification in The Blithedale Romance." Christianson writes, "Instead of viewing it simply as a culminating moment in the tradition of American romance, I would prefer to understand The Blithedale Romance as a transitional novel that offers a critique of romanticism in particular and sentimental culture in general. In so doing, it anticipates realism as a literary mode." Novel: A Forum on Fiction Spring 2003 [first page of article only].

Ellis, Barbara. "Some Observations about Hawthorne's Women." Women in Literature and Life, Fall 1993.

Harris, Mark. "A new reading of 'Ethan Brand': the failed quest." Studies in Short Fiction, Winter 1994.

Hunt, Lester H. "Hawthorne's Theory of Moral Sentiments: The Scarlet Letter." From the point of view of a philosophy professor.

Korobkin, Laura Hanft. "Scarlet letter of the law: Hawthorne and criminal justice." Novel: A Forum on Fiction Winter 1997 [first page of article only].

Maus, Derek. "Devils in the details: The role of evil in the short fiction on Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol and Nathaniel Hawthorne." Papers on Language and Literature, Winter 2002.

Discussion questions for The Blithedale Romance, from Professor Chris Mott.

Wohlpart, A. James. Allegories of art, allegories of heart: Hawthorne's "Egotism" and "The Christmas Banquet." Studies in Short Fiction, Summer 1994.

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