“Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”: a Glimpse Into Nathaniel Hawthorne’s View
“Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”: A Glimpse into Nathaniel Hawthorne’s View
Being a classmate of with such greats which included future president Franklin Pierce and future poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow one could make the assumption that Nathaniel Hawthorne would be greatly successful as well. A great writer too many, Nathaniel Hawthorne has become one of America’s greatest writers. Hawthorne was a Novelist and short story writer and a central figure in the American Renaissance. He was most known for taking a dark view on human nature, much like Edger Allan Poe (Kirjasto pa. 1). These writing styles often went against the current styles of the time. In his short story “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” he touches upon this behavior. In “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”, he wrote about how humans often will live in their past instead of putting it behind them and striving for the future. His often described Gothic romance style was thought to be influenced by personal events in his life. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born to the town of Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. He was the son of Elizabeth Clarke Manning and Nathaniel Hathorne, a Captain in the U. S. Navy who died early on in Nathaniel’s life; he was only four years old (Merriman pa. 6). Ancestors of Hawthorne such as his great grandfather were one of the first Puritans to settle in the New England area and participated in the Salem Witch Trials. This was thought to cause him much guilt and also was thought to help theme for many of his stories like “The House of Seven Gables”. In 1821, Hawthorne began to attend Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine along with fellow poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and future American President Franklin Pierce. In college he began to start writing more and even started publishing his work as well. Even after graduation in 1837, he kept producing work. July 9, 1842 Hawthorn married a painter named Sophia Peabody. He had three daughters as a result of this, one of which was future
Being a classmate of with such greats which included future president Franklin Pierce and future poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow one could make the assumption that Nathaniel Hawthorne would be greatly successful as well. A great writer too many, Nathaniel Hawthorne has become one of America’s greatest writers. Hawthorne was a Novelist and short story writer and a central figure in the American Renaissance. He was most known for taking a dark view on human nature, much like Edger Allan Poe (Kirjasto pa. 1). These writing styles often went against the current styles of the time. In his short story “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” he touches upon this behavior. In “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment”, he wrote about how humans often will live in their past instead of putting it behind them and striving for the future. His often described Gothic romance style was thought to be influenced by personal events in his life. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born to the town of Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. He was the son of Elizabeth Clarke Manning and Nathaniel Hathorne, a Captain in the U. S. Navy who died early on in Nathaniel’s life; he was only four years old (Merriman pa. 6). Ancestors of Hawthorne such as his great grandfather were one of the first Puritans to settle in the New England area and participated in the Salem Witch Trials. This was thought to cause him much guilt and also was thought to help theme for many of his stories like “The House of Seven Gables”. In 1821, Hawthorne began to attend Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine along with fellow poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and future American President Franklin Pierce. In college he began to start writing more and even started publishing his work as well. Even after graduation in 1837, he kept producing work. July 9, 1842 Hawthorn married a painter named Sophia Peabody. He had three daughters as a result of this, one of which was future
Cited: “Nathaniel Hawthorne.” 10 July 2008 <http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/> “Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864).” 10 July 2008 <http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/hawthorn.htm>