Hawthorne, Nathaniel:

Later Life and Mature Work

In order to earn a livelihood Hawthorne served as surveyor of the port at Salem (1846–49), where he began writing his masterpiece,The Scarlet Letter(1850). Set in 17th-century Puritan New England, the novel delves deeply into the human heart, presenting the problems of moral evil and guilt through allegory and symbolism. It is often considered the first American psychological novel. Hawthorne's next novel,The House of the Seven Gables(1851), takes place in the New England of his own period but nevertheless also deals with the effects of Puritanism.

For a time the Hawthornes lived atTanglewood,near Lenox, Mass., where he wroteA Wonder Book(1852), based on Greek mythology, which became a juvenile classic, andTanglewood Tales(1853), also for children. At this time he befriended his neighbor HermanMelville, who was one of the first to appreciate Hawthorne's genius. Returning to Concord, Hawthorne completedThe Blithedale Romance(1852), a novel based on his Brook Farm experience.

A campaign biography of his college friend FranklinPierceearned Hawthorne the post of consul at Liverpool (1853–57) after Pierce became President. Hawthorne's stay in England is reflected in the travel sketches ofOur Old Home(1863), and a visit to Italy resulted in the novelThe Marble Faun(1860). After returning to the United States, he worked on several novels that were never finished. He died during a trip to the White Mts. with Franklin Pierce.

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