| Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Study in Short Fiction Contributor(s): Bunge, Nancy (Author) |
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ISBN: 0805708529 ISBN-13: 9780805708523 Publisher: Twayne Publishers OUR PRICE: $44.35 Product Type: Hardcover Published: March 1993 Annotation: One of the first American short story writers, Nathaniel Hawthorne is also among the finest. A sampling of his stories reads like an anthology of great literature: My Kinsman, Major Molineux; The Celestial Railroad; The Minister's Black Veil; The Maypole of Merry Mount; The Birthmark. Common to all Hawthorne's work is an intellectual, emotional, and psychological richness that may well remain unparalleled in fiction today. Indeed, as scholars learn more about history, literature, sociology, and psychology, the more they unlock secrets in Hawthorne's work. Few writers, of any generation, genre, or language have shared - or even approached - Hawthorne's lucid vision of the mind's hidden landscape. More remarkable, perhaps, was the compassion he felt for his subjects, while exploring their sin, guilt, cruelty, and arrogance. Human beings, he felt, can afford to face their flaws because they have the capacity to grow beyond them. Even his peers acknowledged his place in literary history: D. H. Lawrence called Hawthorne "the American wonder-child with his magical, allegorical insight"; Henry James wrote an entire book of criticism about him; and Herman Melville, in deference to Hawthorne's "great power of blackness", dedicated Moby Dick to his friend and neighbor. Nancy Bunge investigates the whole of Hawthorne's short fiction canon, including a number of the less celebrated stories. Her specific and detailed analyses include fresh commentaries on Hawthorne's lush and demanding fiction, including observations afforded by the moral, social, and historical interpretations of the stories. Many of her theories are not found in the extant body of criticism, and still others take the generalpatterns of critical interpretation to new levels. Bunge's thorough inspection also sheds light on the relation of the fiction to Hawthorne's own biography, including his Puritan roots. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | American - African American - Literary Criticism | Women Authors |
| Dewey: 813.3 |
| LCCN: 92038700 |
| Series: Twayne's Studies in Short Fiction |
| Physical Information: 0.76" H x 5.8" W x 8.83" (0.83 lbs) 180 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 19th Century |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Series Editor: Robert Lecker, McGill University Written in an easy-to-read, accessible style by teachers with years of classroom experience, Masterwork Studies are guides to the literary works most frequently studied in high school. Presenting ideas that spark imaginations, these books helpstudents to gain background knowledge on great literature useful for papers andexams. The goal of each study is to encourage creative thinking by presenting engaging information about each work and its author. This approach allows students to arrive at sound analyses of their own, based on in-depth studies of popular literature. Each volume:
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