Nathaniel Hawthorne as Political Philosopher: Revolutionary Principles Domesticated and Personalized

Using the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne as a case study, John E. Alvis shows that a novelist can be a political philosopher. He demonstrates that much of Hawthorne’s works are rooted in the American political tradition. Once we view his writings in connection with the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence, we grasp that what Thomas Jefferson and John Adams had stated explicitly, Hawthorne’s fiction conveys dramatically. Alvis characterizes Hawthorne as a rational patriot who endorses America’s new terms for human association. This fascinating study provides new insights into the mind of one of the greatest American writers.