Hawthorne in ConcordOn his wedding day in 1842, Nathaniel Hawthorne escorted his new wife, Sophia, to their first home, the Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts. There, enriched by friendships with Thoreau and Emerson, he enjoyed an idyllic time. But three years later, unable to make enough money from his writing, he returned ingloriously, with his wife and infant daughter, to live in his mother's home in Salem. In 1853 Hawthorne moved back to Concord, now the renowned author of The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. Eager to resume writing fiction at the scene of his earlier happiness, he assembled a biography of his college friend Franklin Pierce, who was running for president. When Pierce won the election, Hawthorne is appointed the lucrative post of consul in Liverpool. Coming home from Europe in 1860, Hawthorne settled down in Concord once more. He tried to take up writing one last time, but deteriorating health finds him withdrawing into private life. In Hawthorne in Concord, acclaimed historian Philip McFarland paints a revealing portrait of this well-loved American author during three distinct periods of his life, spent in the bucolic village of Concord, Massachusetts. |
Contents
WEDDING IN BOSTON | 3 |
THE MANSE AND HISTORIC CONCORD | 9 |
AN END TO SOLITUDE | 17 |
CONCORD IN THE FORTIES | 26 |
VISITORS AT THE MANSE | 33 |
MARGARET FULLER AND HENRY THOREAU | 40 |
HAWTHORNE AND EMERSON TOGETHER | 47 |
FIRST FALL AT THE MANSE | 54 |
CREATING A LIFE | 173 |
DAYS AT THE WAYSIDE | 180 |
TO WASHINGTON | 188 |
DEPARTURE FOR EUROPE | 196 |
ONCE MORE TO CONCORD | 205 |
ALTERING THE WAYSIDE | 213 |
CONCORD IN THE SIXTIES | 221 |
SECESSION | 229 |
HAWTHORNES WRITING | 62 |
TWO MORE WEDDINGS | 69 |
RURAL UTOPIAS | 78 |
SEEKING A LIVELIHOOD | 86 |
UNA | 94 |
WOMEN IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY | 101 |
THE NATION BEYOND CONCORD | 109 |
LEAVING THE OLD MANSE | 117 |
THE WAYSIDE | 127 |
RETURN TO CONCORD | 132 |
CONCORD IN THE FIFTIES | 140 |
TWO NOVELS | 148 |
HAWTHORNE AND SLAVERY | 157 |
DEATH BY WATER | 164 |
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Common terms and phrases
American Annie Fields appeared Appleton arrived beautiful Blithedale Romance Boston Bowdoin Bronson Alcott Brook Farm Concord couple daughter death Democratic dinner earlier early Elizabeth Peabody Emerson England Fanny father feel felt finally Franklin Pierce Fruitlands happy Hawthorne and Wife Hawthorne's heart Henry Thoreau hill Hillard Hoar Horatio Bridge human husband James journal Julian July June labor late later Lathrop letter living Longfellow look Louisa Margaret Fuller marriage Mary matter months morning mother moved Nathan Appleton Nathaniel Hawthorne nation neighbor never North novel Old Manse parlor Pierce's poet president published Quoted river Rose Salem Sanborn seemed sister slave slavery soon Sophia Sophia Peabody South spring story Stowe Street summer thought Ticknor Twice-Told Tales Union village visitor Walden Washington Wayside wedding weeks Whig William Ticknor woman write written wrote young