Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay - 1072 Words

Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of American literatures finest writers; his writing style was very distinct and unusual in some aspects. It is his background that provided this ambiguous and complex approach to writing. Hawthornes New England heritage has, at times, been said to be the contributing factor in his works. The Puritan view of life itself was considered to be allegorical, their theology rested primarily on the idea of predestination and the separation of the saved and the damned As evident from Hawthornes writings his intense interest in Puritanical beliefs often carried over to his novels such as, Young Goodman Brown, The Scarlet Letter, and The Ministers Black Veil just to name a few of the more well known pieces of his work.†¦show more content†¦Both men Dante and Young Goodman Brown embark on a somewhat spiritual journey and come out of it with an insight that they never possessed before relating to the world and their beliefs. Young Goodman Brown had the allegor ical elements similar to Dantes Inferno with the use of color, ambiguous statements and the representation of objects. An example of this type of ambiguity of language is when the old man convinces Goodman Brown to come with him: Let us walk on, nevertheless, reasoning as we go, and if I convince thee not, thou shalt turn back. We are but a little way in the forest yet (Hawthorne 615) This statement can be taken one of two ways, either for the literal sense in which the old man is urging him to come or for the allegorical way in which this shows Goodman Brown has a choice in his destiny to make the right decision and turn his back on Satan when he sees Gods way is better. Upon returning home Goodman Brown comes to the realization that all the people that meant most in his life that he believed were righteous, upstanding, God fearing citizens were all guilty of being influenced by the devil. Whether he dreamed this or not what happened to him in the forest changed his life in such a dramatic way that it compels him to live the rest of it out in gloom and despair as evident from this paragraph: Often, awakening suddenly at midnight, he shrank from the bosom of Faith, and at morning or eventide, when the family knelt down at prayer, heShow MoreRelatedThe Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne1493 Words   |  6 PagesRomantic period authors, like Nathaniel Hawthorne, a prevalent example of a Romantic author from the 19th century, believed that people were getting too reliant on on science. Romantics were literary rebels who wrote about strong emotions, the supernatural, and the power of nature. The writing style of the previous century was known as the Age of Reason, the authors thought emotion was unnecessary; they loved science and wrote a lot of non-fiction. The romantics wanted to remind people that thereRead MoreWho is Nathaniel Hawthorne?953 Words   |  4 Pagesthe utmost passion of her heart† is one of my favorite quotes that Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote from the Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American writer, that wrote fictional stories. He was a gifted writer that was influenced to use his gift by a well known man, with the name of Ralph Waldo Emerson. I believe Nathaniel had an talent to make stories rhyme with detail, that sets the scene in your very, own mind. Hawthorne had a interesting life, he enjoyed writing short stories, like Twice-ToldRead MoreBiography of Nathaniel Hawthorne547 Words   |  2 Pagesirritation of the original feeling of hostility (Hawthorne). Writers of the 1800s seemed to write in a way that would serve to the sentimental values of their readers and focus on bright, happy, or romantic topics. One Author, however, looked deep into the darker side of human nature and delved into topics such as: morality, sin, and redemption. This author was Nathaniel Hawthorne. On July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts, Nathaniel Hathorne was born to Nathaniel Hathorne and Elizabeth Clark Manning HathorneRead MoreThe Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne1175 Words   |  5 Pages Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer who was born in Salem, Massachusetts July fourth 1804. When Hawthorne was a young man he served as the editor of the American Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge. That job introduced him into the world of writing and at that point he decided what he wanted to do until the day he died. â€Å"I do not want to be a doctor and live by men’s diseases, nor a minister to live by their sins, nor a lawyer and live by their quarrelsRead MoreThe Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne1185 Words   |  5 PagesAli Qutab Honor American Literature â€Å"The Birthmark† : Essay #4 December 30th, 2015 The Effect of Nature on the Scientific Ego of Aylmer Throughout, â€Å"The Birthmarkâ€Å", by Nathaniel Hawthorne, symbolism and imagery are used to show that Aylmer s attempt to perfect something natural is the cause of Georgiana s death and that when man manipulates something as powerful as Nature, terrible things can occur. Aylmer is a scientist whose strives for perfection and is blinded by his love for science, resultingRead MoreBiography of Nathaniel Hawthorne1273 Words   |  6 Pagesdark secrets forever. Raised as a Puritan, Nathaniel Hawthorne grew up with a devout family intensely immersed in religion. As he matured, Hawthorne discovered that his seemingly pious family was disturbingly flawed, a discovery that would radically change his life. In his short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Puritan family secrets aid in forming symbols of faith and evil and developing the inner complexities of his characters. Hawthorne, the sixth generation in a family of AmericanRead MoreThe Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay1615 Words   |  7 PagesA birthmark as referred to in this short story is the â€Å"Differences of temperament†, the inborn traits someone can develop. In Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Birthmark there are many different themes such as, nature versus science, and perfection. We see Aylmer struggle with his own temperament. For him the birthmark becomes the symbol of Georgiana’s flawed humanity, which he tries to alternate. Throughout the story, we come across several observances of otherness revolving around â€Å"The Birthmark†. AylmerRead MoreThe Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne873 Words   |  4 PagesThe Birthmark is a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne the carries vast amounts of symbolism in its pages. It’s a story that you can pretty much look at anything that is involved and see how it carries some type of underlying meaning that either helps the character development or means something entirely different. The basis of the story is similar to that of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which only came out about 20 years before The Birthmark. For the most part the story is about human imperfection andRead MoreThe Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne1511 Words   |  7 PagesThe Birthmark Nathaniel Hawthorne like many other writers during the nineteenth century focused their writings on the darker aspects of life. â€Å"The Birthmark,† is set in New England and has a Puritan perspective. Aylmer, a well-known scientist, marries Georgiana who has a hand shaped birthmark upon her face. After some time during their marriage Aylmer and Georgiana decided to remove the mark through scientific means. Advancements in science and the ability to change nature were at the center ofRead MoreBiography of Nathaniel Hawthorne 1123 Words   |  5 PagesThe tall and mysterious Nathaniel Hawthorne is a man of little understanding. We know him for being very secluded and alone much of the time. We also know he had many secrets that may have accounted for the gloomy tone in his novels. He was a writer who did not believe in the game of small talk and enjoyed losing himself to a world of this own creation. Many people might have thought that Hawthorne came off as rude and uninte resting, but they had no idea of the masterpieces that laid inside his head

Edgar Allan Poes Use of Gothisism - 891 Words

Edgar Allan Poe is a well-known fixture in American literature; whose stories have made sizeable contributions to the Gothic literary element. Many of Poe’s stories contain more than one Gothic element. â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† is a prime example of this. In this story Poe presents the themes of death and the accompanying supernatural. Poe often uses his proficiency in Gothic to invoke deep reading. For many, this proficiency causes Poe’s stories to be difficult to fully understand at first glance. One of the many noticeable themes that entangle the Gothic fiction of Edgar Allan Poe is death and the accompanying theme of decay after death. Death is by far one of the most prominent themes in Gothic writing. â€Å"In nearly all of Poe’s stories, at least one, if not more than one of the characters has died or is being mourned (Gothic).† â€Å"This mournful theme sets the quintessential gloomy tone found in many of Poe’s works (Ligeia).† For instance, in â€Å"Ligeia† by Edgar Allan Poe, the narrator’s lover has recently passed away and the narrator is left struggling to adjust to a life without her by his side. The narrator does however move on with his life and finds another woman to marry. After their marriage the narrator realizes that his new bride does not truly love him. Just as unexpectedly as Ligeia became ill, so does his new bride. Soon, just as the last, the narrator’s bride dies. As with many of Poe’s writings th e plot makes an unexpected twist and although the woman has

Sinulog Free Essays

SiThe Sinulog festival is one of the grandest, most distinguished and most colorful festivals in the Philippines. The major festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Nino, or the child Jesus, who used to be the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu (since in the Catholic faith Jesus is not a saint, but God). It is fundamentally a dance ritual which remembers the Filipino people’s pagan past and their recognition of Christianity. We will write a custom essay sample on Sinulog or any similar topic only for you Order Now The festival features some the country’s most colorful displays of ceremony and pageantry: participants clothe in bright-colored costumes dance to the rhythm of drums and native gongs. The streets are generally lined with vendors and pedestrians all wanting to witness the street-dancing. Smaller versions of the festival are also held in different parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Nino. There is also a Sinulog sa Kabataan, which is performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the Grand Parade.Recently, the cultural event has been commercialized as a tourist attraction and instead of traditional street-dancing from locals, Sinulog also came to mean a contest highlighting groups from various parts of the country. The Sinulog Contest is traditionally held in the Cebu City Sports Complex, where most of Cebu’s major provincial events are held. The Festival The celebration traditionally lasts for nine days, ending on the ninth day when the Sinulog G rand Parade reveals. The day before the parade, the Fluvial Procession, a water-parade, held at dawn from the Mandaue City wharf to Cebu City wharf with the Santo Nino carried on a pump boat decorated with hundreds of flowers and candles. The procession ends at the Basilica where a re-enactment of the Christianizing of Cebu follows. In the afternoon, a more formal procession takes place along the major streets of the city, which last for hours due to large crowd participating in the religious event.On the feast day, at the Basilica, a Pontifical Mass is held, given by the Cardinal with the assistance of several bishops of Cebu. The majority of the city’s population and devotees would flock to the Basilica to attend the mass before heading out to the streets to watch the Parade. Background ‘Sinulog’ comes from the Cebuano adverb sulog which is â€Å"like water current movement,† which proficiently describes the forward-backward movement of the Sinulog dance. Traditionally, the d ance consists of two steps forward and one step backward, done to the sound of the drums. The dance is classified into Sinulog-base, Free-Interpretation, and recently a Latin Category, which most people have argued that it had nothing to do with Sinulog tradition. Candle vendors at the Basilica continue to perform the traditional version of the dance when lighting a candle for the customer, usually accompanied by songs in the native language. History of Sinulog Pre-Spanish and the First Wave of Spaniards Historians have renowned that before the first Spaniards came to Cebu, the Sinulog was already danced by the natives in respect of their wooden god called anitos.Then, on April 7, 1521, the Portuguese navigator, Fernando de Magallanes arrived and planted the cross on the shores of Cebu, claiming the territory in the name of the King of Spain. He then offered the image of the child Jesus, the Santo Nino, as baptismal gift to Hara Amihan, wife of Cebu’s Rajah Humabon. Hara Amihan was later named, Queen Juana in honor of Juana, Carlos I’s mother. Along with the rulers of the island, some 800 natives were also baptized to the Christian faith. This event is often used as foundation for most Sinulog dances, which presents the coming of the Spaniards and the presentation of the Santo Nino to the Queen.A famous theme among Sinulog dances is Queen Juana holding the Santo Nino in her arms and using it to bless her people who are often worried by sickness caused by demons and other evil spirits. The Coming of Legazpi After Magellan met his death on April 27, 1521 on the shores of Mactan (ruled by Muslim Rajah Lapu-Lapu), the bits and pieces of his men returned to Spain. However, it took 44 years before the Spaniards accomplished some measure of success in colonizing the islands and finally the whole Philippines. The explorer, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Cebu on April 28, 1565 and destroyed the village ruled by Rajah Tupas.In one of the huts of the burning village, one of Legazpi’s soldiers named Juan Camus found a wooden box containing the image of the Santo Nino lying in the middle of several native statue. Histo rians later said that during the 44 years between the coming of Magellan and Legazpi, the natives of Cebu continued to dance the Sinulog but no longer to worship their anitos but to show their worship to the Santo Nino. The Augustinian friars that accompanied Legazpi in his expedition proclaimed the statue miraculous and built a church on the site where it was found.Th e church was called San Agustin Church but was later renamed to the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino. Letter to the King After Juan Camus found the Santo Nino in the burning village, Legazpi was said to have included the event in his report, entitled â€Å"Relation of Voyage to the Philippine Islands. † It went as follows: â€Å"†¦ Your Excellency should know that on that day when we entered this village (Cebu), one of the soldiers went into a large and well-built house of an indio where he found an image of the Child Jesus (whose most holy name I pray may be universally worshipped).This was kept in its cradle, all covered with gold, just as if it were brought from Spain: and only the little cross, which is generally placed upon the globe in his hands, was lacking. The image was well kept in that house, and many flowers we re found before it, and no one knows for what object or purpose. The soldier bowed down before it with all reverence and wonder, and brought the image to the place where the other soldiers were. I pray to the Holy Name of his image, which we found here, to help us and to grant us victory, in order that these lost people who are unaware of the precious and rich treasure, which was in their custody, may come to a knowledge of Him. † The Present Since 1521, loyalty to the Santo Nino has grown and has taken root in Filipino popular holiness, particularly in the Visayas; pilgrims from different parts of Cebu and the rest of the Philippines make their yearly journey to the Basilica to take part in the procession and fiesta.Starting in 1980, the Cebu City government organized the Sinulog Mardi Gras and eventually gave incentives to dance groups. It was David S. Odilao, Jr. , then Regional Director of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development (MYSD), who organized the first ever Sinulog Parade. The year was 1980 and Odilao gathered a group of students, dressed them up in moro-moro costumes and taught them the Sinulog to the beating of the drums. The idea caught and thus, under the direction of the Cebu City Mayor Florentino S. Solon with the help of several influential Cebuanos, Odilao turned over the Sinulog project to the Cebu City Historical Committee under Kagawad Jesus B. Garcia, Jr.. It was the task of the Committee to conceptualize the Sinulog festival and make it into a yearly event from then on. In 1981 the following year, the concept of the Sinulog Parade was actualized, involving practically every sector in the Cebuano community.Marking its difference from another popular festival, the Ati-Atihan in Aklan, the Sinulog focuses not on the ritual itself but on the historical aspects of the dance, which, as it has been said, represents the link between the country’s pagan past and Christian present. Sinulog Coat of Arms The committee (Cebu City Historical Committee), which was responsible for the conceptualization of the Sinulog as a provincial event, decided to accept a logo for the Sinulog to identify it as an institutionalized yearly event.They turned to the coat of arms of the Santo Nino which consisted of a two-headed hawk that was the mark of the ruling House of Habsburg in Europe. The symbol stand for the twin purpose of the Habsburg dynasty as â€Å"Champion of Catholicism and Defender of the Faith. † At the time when Spain sent expeditions to the Philippines, they were under the Habsburg dynasty. The Sinulog committee then included the two-headed eagle to a native warrior’s shield. The native shield is thought to symbolize the country’s struggle to colonization while the Santo Nino’s coat of arms printed on its face represented the country’s recognition of Christianity. How to cite Sinulog, Papers