1. Anti - Transcendentalism Hawthorne and Melville

2. The Darker Visions  Not all authors of the period as thought-provoking as the transcendentalists.  Saw the universe as confusing and difficult.  Evil and suffering had to be explained, accounted for.  Life was ultimately mysterious.

3. Significant Authors  Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)  He had connections to the Transcendentalist Club, but instead of “assert[ing] human freedom, Hawthorne reminds us of human limitations.”  Called his stories “allegories of the heart”  “An atmosphere of hidden depravity” in all his best fiction.

4. Significant Authors  Herman Melville (1819-1891)  Won significant fame and following for his first five novels – adventure tales of seafaring.  Upon publication of Moby-Dick, his popularity began to decline.  Last years of his life spent working as a bureaucrat, bitter and dissatisfied, and almost forgotten.

5. Nathaniel Hawthorne  Descended from a judge in the Salem witch trials  Father, a sea captain, died when Hawthorne was four  Lived in seclusion for 12 years in Salem, ‘learning to write’

6. Common Themes  Hawthorne’s work preoccupied with effects of Puritanism in New England  Stories often considered allegorical  Stories express mental conflict  Described himself as a writer “who has been burrowing, to his utmost ability, into the depths of our common nature, for the purposes of psychological romance.”

7. Literary Style  Hawthorne’s idea of romance versus novel  Not entirely faithful to reality  Does not portray real people, but does remain true to human emotion  Hawthorne’s renown based on  Sense of structure  Moral insight  Mastery of symbolism and allegory

8. Symbolism: Review  A symbol is a concrete item which represents an abstract idea.  Symbols may be called conventional, meaning that they are recognized in many cultures and many eras.

9. Bibliography  Crews, Frederick C. Introduction. Great Short Works of Hawthorne. By Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Harper & Row, 1967.  Hart, James D. and Phillip W. Leininger, eds. Oxford Companion to American Literature. 6E. New York: OUP, 1995.  “Hawthorne, Nathaniel.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 7 Dec. 2004.http://school.eb.com/ eb/article?tocId=3067  “Hawthorne, Nathaniel.” Hart and Leininger. 278-79.  “Melville, Herman.” Encyclopædia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 9 Dec. 2004.http://school.eb.com/eb/ article?tocId=4764  “Melville, Herman.” Hart and Leininger. 425-26.