Bloom's How to Write about Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Overview
Though Nathaniel Hawthorne once referred to himself as the "obscurest man in American letters," his remarkable achievements as a novelist and short-story writer have given him a lasting reputation in American literature. His impressive body of work includes the novels The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables and the short stories "Young Goodman Brown" and "Rappaccini's Daughter," all staples of high school English classes.About the Author:
Laurie A. Sterling is an associate professor of English at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where she also serves as department chairperson
Synopsis
Though Nathaniel Hawthorne once referred to himself as the "obscurest man in American letters," his remarkable achievements as a novelist and short-story writer have given him a lasting reputation in American literature. His impressive body of work includes the novels The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables and the short stories "Young Goodman Brown" and "Rappaccini's Daughter," all staples of high school English classes.
About the Author:
Laurie A. Sterling is an associate professor of English at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where she also serves as department chairperson
School Library Journal
Gr 10 Up- This volume will be a much-sought-after source. At first glance, it almost seems too good to be true: a book that will actually guide them through a paper on Nathaniel Hawthorne? However, while Sterling includes a chapter on how to write a good essay, she asks more questions than she answers in terms of Hawthorne, encouraging students to engage their own thoughts and imaginations within the context of his works instead of force-feeding themes and ideas to them. An individual chapter is devoted to expected titles, such as The House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter, as well as to the relatively little-known "Roger Malvin's Burial" and "The Birth-Mark." The format is fairly uniform, with themes, characters, symbols and the like all discussed, or rather represented, by way of the many thoughtful musings with which Sterling leaves readers. A section on "Compare and Contrast Essays," in which a particular title is discussed in relation to other works, is especially useful. A thorough bibliography closes each chapter and a solid index is appended.-Carol Fazioli, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Gwynedd Valley, PA
Editorials
School Library Journal
Gr 10 Up- This volume will be a much-sought-after source. At first glance, it almost seems too good to be true: a book that will actually guide them through a paper on Nathaniel Hawthorne? However, while Sterling includes a chapter on how to write a good essay, she asks more questions than she answers in terms of Hawthorne, encouraging students to engage their own thoughts and imaginations within the context of his works instead of force-feeding themes and ideas to them. An individual chapter is devoted to expected titles, such as The House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter, as well as to the relatively little-known "Roger Malvin's Burial" and "The Birth-Mark." The format is fairly uniform, with themes, characters, symbols and the like all discussed, or rather represented, by way of the many thoughtful musings with which Sterling leaves readers. A section on "Compare and Contrast Essays," in which a particular title is discussed in relation to other works, is especially useful. A thorough bibliography closes each chapter and a solid index is appended.-Carol Fazioli, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Gwynedd Valley, PA