Who is Nathaniel Hawthorne?
Nathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th century American author of novels and short stories. He was the main figure of the Anti-transcendentalist movement, which objected to the claim of Transcendentalists like Henry David Thoreau that man is inherently good. Hawthorne’s work often deals with the idea that sin is inherent in man and unavoidable. He makes heavy use of allegory, and many of his stories can be read as having a moral lesson – often that no one can escape their sinful nature and that all should consequently practice tolerance.
