The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

Authors Background Nathaniel Hawthorne was born inSalem, Massachusetts on July 4th, 1804. Hawthorne residedpoor due to his fathers death when he was four, but he washelped by relatives and enrolled in college where hedisplayed an interest in writing. In college, he met a friendwho would prove to be an invaluable help Franklin Pierce,future President of the United States. In 1825 he graduatedand lived with his uncle in Salem for 12 years, devoting histime to reading, writing, and scrapping for publication. Hespewed out several stories, but few sold for over $35 each.In 1837 Hawthorne took a job in the Custom-House inBoston. He grew bored with this work and the peoplearound him, however, up to the point where he wrote TheCustom House as an submission to The Scarlet Letter. Inthis introduction he showed the dull life of working in acustom house. From the Custom-House, he left for BrookeFarm. During his time at Brooke Farm, he met such thinkersas Emmerson and Thoreau. He also met and courted SophiaPeabody, and left Brooke Farm with her in 1842 to stay at"Old Manse", the Emmerson homestead. When Emmersonreturned to Old Manse, Hawthorne left and went to Salemto live with Sophia. From this point, Hawthorne won a jobat the Salem Custom-House due to a political appointmentfrom his college friend Franklin Pierce. However, when thepolitical winds changed to Zachary Taylor, he lost his joband prone himself to writing at his wifes insistence. Theresult was The Scarlet Letter, which was the beginning of awinnerful series of books including The House of SevenGables in 1851, The Blithedale Romance in 1852, andTanglewood Tales for Boys and Girls in 1853. With thissuccess and the aid of President Franklin Pierce, he wasappointed as US consul to Liverpool, England. This was areward for writing Pierces biography. Hawthornes finalyears are sketchy. On a navigate back to Plymouth, NewHampshire, he became deathly ill and died on May 19,1864. He was buried on Concord, Mas sachusetts. Literary extremity and Setting Literary Period Romanticism andTranscendentalism Setting Boston, Massachusetts. USA1842-1849 Characters Hester Prynne A) Hester was abeautiful young woman who lives in Boston, Massachusetts.She is proud and strong, but commits the sin of adultery withReverend Dimmesdale spot her husband is supposedly inEngland finishing up some work. Pearl is the product of thissin and Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter "A" on herbosom for the rest of her life to show her sin. Isolated fromthe community, Hester is forced to rise a step higher than