Biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1804. His parents were Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Elizabeth Clark Manning. His father dies of yellow fever when he was four years old. He then grew up in the manning household with his grandparents, uncles, and aunts. Nathaniel Hawthorne was fond of taking long walks by himself and reading excessively. He studied Shakespeare, Pope, Milton, and Thompson. He went on adventures while he took these long walks and he wrote about his adventures, this is how his writing skills developed. When Nathaniel Hawthorne turned 15 he moved to Maine with his uncle and later attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick. While in college he did poorly in most classes accept his literary classes, in which he excelled. He graduated 3 years later. While in college He became friends with Henry W. Longfellow, Franklin Pierce, and Henry D. Thoreau. After college he returned to Salem, Massachusetts and resided in the manning household. He then withdrew from society. H followed the same schedule everyday. He studied in the morning, took long walks in the afternoon, and then wrote in the evening. In 1828 he published his first book anonymously, Fanshawe. He later then destroyed all copies and was not proud of it. His first publication that was a success was “The Token”, and “Peter Parley”. In 1830 he served as an editor for a number of publications. He also began to write children’s books. He then took a job in a custom house. In 1840 he left his job knowing that he would soon be fired due to the outcome of the election going on during that time. He married Sophia Amelia Peabody. In 1844 he had his first daughter. He then returned to Salem due to financial pressures. “Him losing his job turned out to be a blessing as he had the time to write some of his best works”. Such as The Scarlet Letter, The House of Seven Gables, and The Birthdale Romance. In 1860, he published The Marble Faun, our old home, and later went on a tour with Franklin