About the author
Image - Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864). American writer. Hawthorne in the year 'The Scarlet Letter' was published. Stipple engraving, 19th century, by T. Phillibrown after a painting, 1850, by Cephas G. Thompson.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts The place and its colonial history would go on to be a major influence in his writings.
Some of his major themes were Colonial history, Puritan tradition, transcendentalism, Religious hypocrisy and patriotism. He was popularly known as the Dark romantic because he incorporated gloomy, guilt trapping topics in his stories. Dead fallen heroes, patriotic heroes, characters with a dubious past, long lost lovers etc were the regular features of his stories. Add to this the fact that the company he kept also inspired and influenced him in his writing. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and future president Franklin Pierce were his close friends. Transcendentalists Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were his friends later in life, and fellow Dark Romantic writer Edgar Allan Poe wrote great reviews of his books.
His popular works were American stories and novels, including “Young Goodman Brown” (1835), Twice-Told Tales (1837), “Ethan Brand” (1850), The Scarlet Letter (1850), The House of the Seven Gables (1851), and The Blithedale Romance (1852).
He died on May 19, 1864
The Gray Champion - From Twice-Told Tales -1837
A patriotic story by Nathaniel Hawthorne written in 1835. This story shows one man standing up for what is right against unbeatable odds. Portraying a love for one's nation, the story shows that America is a land where the people embarked against oppressive chains of an abusive monarchy and pushed for equal opportunities for all.
The year is 1686. King James II is on the throne of England and has converted the country back to Catholicism. Back in America, the king appoints Sir Edmund Andros, the Governor of New England. In doing so, he retracts the old agreements that allowed the new colony to govern itself. The colonists become upset at the continuous abuse of their rights.
By April, 1689, King James has become very unpopular and loses the throne. His daughter and her husband, William Prince of Orange, assume the throne. Hawthorne's story depicts Boston just days before King James loses power in England.
The public is restless against the oppressive rule of the governor, Sir Edmund. He marches his redcoats through Boston as a show of strength to dissuade a revolution.
The beloved ex-Governor Bradstreet, a 90 year old man, pleads with the crowd. He asks that they ''do nothing rashly. Cry not aloud, but pray for the welfare of New-England.''
The soldiers march on and some on horseback. Sir Edmund is in the center of it all, his closest advisors surrounding him. The presence of a Catholic clergyman in redcoat, is a symbol of the persecution that drove the Puritans out of England years before.
One citizen cries out, asking the Lord to ''provide a Champion for thy people!'' An old, bearded man, dressed in old-fashioned, gray clothes, emerges from the crowd - the gray champion. He walks in the center of the street, approaching the redcoats head on. The younger men ask their fathers who this old man is. No one can recall.
Twenty yards away from the soldiers, the bearded man stops and holds his staff before him like a weapon. He stands up straight with great dignity, and yells out one word: ''Stand!'' He is so authoritative that the drums hush, and the advancing line stops.
Sir Edmund and his advisors are appalled that some old man stopped his men. He cries out that they will march on and the old man can ''stand aside or be trampled on!''
After an inspiring and roaring speech which fills the people with zeal and ready to fight, Sir Edmund sees the wrath of the people and eyes the old man. He orders his soldiers to retreat. That night the people hear that King James is no longer on the throne. Sir Edmund and his men are imprisoned.
Themes
Patriotism
The story is outrightly a call for one to shed forceful and puritan rule and embrace freedom. Set at a time when English monarchy was highly protested by people, the story harks to the days when honor and self worth of the people lay in the nation and not within themselves.
Religious freedom
The story starts with a brief account of English reformation when England had driven out the Papal authority and converted to Protestant church. But this is not so much about a specific church or group but to do with religious freedom that people wanted - choosing a way and form of worship.
A patriotic story by Nathaniel Hawthorne written in 1835. This story shows one man standing up for what is right against unbeatable odds. Portraying a love for one's nation, the story shows that America is a land where the people embarked against oppressive chains of an abusive monarchy and pushed for equal opportunities for all.
The year is 1686. King James II is on the throne of England and has converted the country back to Catholicism. Back in America, the king appoints Sir Edmund Andros, the Governor of New England. In doing so, he retracts the old agreements that allowed the new colony to govern itself. The colonists become upset at the continuous abuse of their rights.
By April, 1689, King James has become very unpopular and loses the throne. His daughter and her husband, William Prince of Orange, assume the throne. Hawthorne's story depicts Boston just days before King James loses power in England.
The public is restless against the oppressive rule of the governor, Sir Edmund. He marches his redcoats through Boston as a show of strength to dissuade a revolution.
The beloved ex-Governor Bradstreet, a 90 year old man, pleads with the crowd. He asks that they ''do nothing rashly. Cry not aloud, but pray for the welfare of New-England.''
The soldiers march on and some on horseback. Sir Edmund is in the center of it all, his closest advisors surrounding him. The presence of a Catholic clergyman in redcoat, is a symbol of the persecution that drove the Puritans out of England years before.
One citizen cries out, asking the Lord to ''provide a Champion for thy people!'' An old, bearded man, dressed in old-fashioned, gray clothes, emerges from the crowd - the gray champion. He walks in the center of the street, approaching the redcoats head on. The younger men ask their fathers who this old man is. No one can recall.
Twenty yards away from the soldiers, the bearded man stops and holds his staff before him like a weapon. He stands up straight with great dignity, and yells out one word: ''Stand!'' He is so authoritative that the drums hush, and the advancing line stops.
Sir Edmund and his advisors are appalled that some old man stopped his men. He cries out that they will march on and the old man can ''stand aside or be trampled on!''
After an inspiring and roaring speech which fills the people with zeal and ready to fight, Sir Edmund sees the wrath of the people and eyes the old man. He orders his soldiers to retreat. That night the people hear that King James is no longer on the throne. Sir Edmund and his men are imprisoned.
Themes
Patriotism
The story is outrightly a call for one to shed forceful and puritan rule and embrace freedom. Set at a time when English monarchy was highly protested by people, the story harks to the days when honor and self worth of the people lay in the nation and not within themselves.
Religious freedom
The story starts with a brief account of English reformation when England had driven out the Papal authority and converted to Protestant church. But this is not so much about a specific church or group but to do with religious freedom that people wanted - choosing a way and form of worship.
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