Nathaniel Hawthorne (born Nathaniel Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) is an American novelist and short story writer.
He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning.
His ancestors include John Hathorne, the only judge involved in the Salem witch trials who never repented of his actions.
Nathaniel later adds a "w" to make his name "Hawthorne" in order to hide this relation.
He enters Bowdoin College in 1821, is elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1824,[ and graduates in 1825.
Hawthorne publishes his first work, a novel titled Fanshawe, in 1828; he later tries to suppress it, feeling it is not equal to the standard of his later work.
He publishes several short stories in various periodicals which he collects in 1837 as Twice-Told Tales.
The next year, he becomes engaged to Sophia Peabody.
He works at a Custom House and joins Brook Farm, a transcendentalist community, before marrying Peabody in 1842.
The couple moves to The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, later moving to Salem, the Berkshires, then to The Wayside in Concord.
The Scarlet Letter is published in 1850, followed by a succession of other novels.
A political appointment takes Hawthorne and family to Europe before their return to The Wayside in 1860.
Hawthorne dies on May 19, 1864, and is survived by his wife and their three children.
Much of Hawthorne's writing centers on New England, many works featuring moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration.
His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, Dark romanticism.
His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity.
His published works include novels, short stories, and a biography of his friend Franklin Pierce.
