Paperback Edition
Paperback
125 pages
$19.95
Choose vendor to order paperback edition
BrownWalker Press Amazon.com Barnes & Noble Return policy
PDF eBook
Sample Preview
Size 49k
Free
Download a sample of the first 25 pages
Download Preview

Entire PDF eBook
249k
$17
Get instant access to an entire eBook
Buy PDF Password Download Complete PDF
eBook editions

Hawthorne's The Marble Faun

A Re-appraisal

by Richard Mezo
small book icon  Paperback   small ebook icon   eBook PDF
Publisher:  Dissertation
Pub date:  1999
Pages:  125
ISBN-10:  1581120567
ISBN-13:  9781581120561
Categories:  Communications and the Arts  Literary Criticism  Education

Abstract

Since its publication in 1860, critics have questioned the artistic value of Hawthorne's The Marble Faun. A revival of critical interest during the 1950's and 1960's has done little to change a generally unfavorable opinion of the work. With a few notable exceptions, most recent critics believe The Marble Faun to be inferior to Hawthorne's other completed romances. Such opinions, however, usually seem to be based upon the personal taste of the individual critic rather than upon any sort of objective artistic standards.

The purpose of this study is to examine and evaluate the various critical approaches to The Marble Faun. These interpretations provide the basis for a re-appraisal of the work. A study of the structure, the main themes, and the characters of The Marble Faun reveals that it is not an inferior work of art. In many respects, The Marble Faun reflects the maturity of Hawthorne's artistic and philosophical beliefs. The Marble Faun is a work capable of standing on its own merits.

Some critics have misunderstood Hawthorne's aesthetic principles. Hawthorne thought that art should be used to suggest moral values. The power of art, he believed, was in its suggestiveness. The creation of an ideal beauty which has no exact counterpart in the material world suggests the reality of an unknowable divine providence. However, the value of a work of art depends upon the mood of the viewer. The viewer must assist the artist with his sympathy and imagination in an act of continual creation. The work of art will reflect back only those qualities which are brought to it by the viewer.

Hawthorne's view of life is similar to the philosophy expressed by modern Christian existentialists. Throughout his writings, Hawthorne's concern for humanity is evident. In The Marble Faun, Hawthorne explores a problem which has become almost an obsession of modern man. This problem is the question of man's moral position in what seems to be a meaningless, if not hostile, universe. The most important theme of The Marble Faun is a consideration of the consequences of man's alienation from other men, from God, and from nature.

The structure and the themes of The Marble Faun are developed through the actions of the major characters. Hilda, Miriam, Donatello, and Kenyon are each transformed by a fall from relative innocence into a world of suffering humanity. Donatello's transformation from faun to man is more striking than the transformations of the other three characters, and it is his fall which leads to the question of the felix culpa. Although Hilda and Kenyon are ultimately less mature characters than Donatello and Miriam, they also benefit from their experiences in Rome.

Hawthorne's belief in the brotherhood of all men is demonstrated by the experiences of the major characters in The Marble Faun. Whether or not it is their wish, each of these characters must accept the responsibility for his own actions and each must become involved with humanity. It is Hawthorne's deep concern for the human condition, profoundly expressed in his art, which makes The Marble Faun a work of enduring importance to our civilization.





Paperback Edition
Paperback
125 pages
$19.95
Choose vendor to order paperback edition
BrownWalker Press Amazon.com Barnes & Noble Return policy
PDF eBook
Sample Preview
Size 49k
Free
Download a sample of the first 25 pages
Download Preview

Entire PDF eBook
249k
$17
Get instant access to an entire eBook
Buy PDF Password Download Complete PDF
eBook editions
Share this book



Relevant events
NOV
7
FOE2024
ILL 2024 | Innovation in Language Learning 17th Edition - International Conference 6 November 2024 | Online Event 7-8 November 2024 | in Florence (Italy) The 17th Edition o...
07 - 08 Nov 2024
Florence, Italy
APR
23
AERA2025
AERA American Educational Research Association 2025 AERA is excited to host an annual meeting for 2025 that will be accessible, flexible, and rew...
23 - 27 Apr 2025
Denver, United States
OCT
9
QS Discover for Masters and MBA in Houston Master's and MBA candidates register at this link: https://bit.ly/3R34EgY Learn more about...
09 - 09 Oct 2024
Houston, United States
OCT
10
TEDUCONF
International Teaching and Education Conference Ignite Your Passion for Education at TEDUCONF 2024! Join a vibrant community of educators an...
10 - 12 Oct 2024
Milan, Italy
OCT
10
World 100 Annual Conference 2024 The THE World 100 Annual Conference offers a key opportunity for members to share reputationa...
10 - 11 Oct 2024
Birmingham, United Kingdom
OCT
12
QS Discover for Masters and MBA in Charlotte Master's and MBA candidates register at this link: https://bit.ly/3V2NTUw Learn more about...
12 - 12 Oct 2024
Charlotte, United States
OCT
15
QS Discover for Masters and MBA in Atlanta Master's and MBA candidates register at this link: https://bit.ly/3V1j1Uh Learn more about...
15 - 15 Oct 2024
Atlanta, United States
OCT
16
THE Central Asia Universities Forum 2024 | Tashkent, Uzbekistan | 16 October Join some of the region's most inspiring thought leaders and influential changemakers from hi...
16 - 16 Oct 2024
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
OCT
17
QS Discover for Masters and MBA in Chicago Master's and MBA candidates register at this link: https://bit.ly/44Xw2CZ Learn more about...
17 - 17 Oct 2024
Chicago, United States
OCT
18
ICEMI 2024
2024 13th International Conference on Education and Management Innovation (ICEMI 2024) Publication: All papers submitted to ICEMI2024 will be published in one of the two jounals b...
18 - 20 Oct 2024
Taipei, China