Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864)
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j BACKGROUND
Born and lived in Salem, MA
Descendant of an important Puritan family (related to Judge Hawthorn of Salem Witch Trials)
Was not a Puritan himself, but his work expresses guilt for his ancestory
j CAREER
Lived in seclusion
Wrote several novels and short stories
j WORKS
Twice-told Tales, a collection of short stories, which includes "Young Goodman Brown"
The Scarlet Letter, a novel about a Puritan community that shuns a woman for immorality
j QUOTE
"My Faith is gone! There is no good on earth and sin is but a name!"
j SIGNIFICANCE
Work expresses a gloomy, pessimistic view
Use of allegory to exlore themes of guilt, sin, and punishment in Puritan America
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