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.
With examples drawn from Hawthorne's shorter works, as well as
acknowledged classics, such as The Scarlet Letter, John E. Alvis
shows that Hawthorne's characters bear something sacred in their
generic humanity, yet are subject to moral judgment. He conveys
reciprocity between obligations regulating individual relations and
the responsibilities of individuals to their community.
From America's founding proclamations in the Declaration of
Independence we take a sense of national aspirations for a
political order that conforms to "laws of nature and nature's God."
From this higher law emerge the principles enumerated in that
revolutionary document. Are these principles confined to the
political, or do they reach into the experience of citizens to
inform conduct? Do they include family, local community, and
individual face-to-face relations with neighbors and strangers? Can
one make a distinct way of life by fidelity to such standards as
higher law, equality, liberty, natural rights, and consent?
This study is distinguished from other writings on Hawthorne in
its largely positive focus on America. 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.
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