“The Custom-House”에 나타난 역사적 인물로서의 Hawthorne

Abstract

Hawthorne as a Historical Character Represented in “The Custom-House”Kim, Ji-won“The Custom-House” sketch does not only introduce themes to be developed in the following romance. It is devoted entirely to establishing the historicity of the story, even mentioning the source on which Nathaniel Hawthorne has drawn. And after this historical introductory chapter, we are never allowed to forget that the romance that follows is a piece of historical fiction. Just as the town of Salem is described as a place haunted by a sense of the past, Hawthorne is haunted in relation to his family and the past. He attempts to understand his ancestral link which is more complex than simply a sentiment of family loyalty. Alienated from his contemporaries in the present, Hawthorne turns to the past and to his ancestors for some source of personal identification.The details of the scarlet letter are surely intended to serve the historical authenticity of the main romance which is reinforced by the document of Mr. Surveyor Pue. Even though Hawthorne finally adopts Surveyor Pue as his official ancestor, the Hester Prynne’s story is not Pue's story but Hawthorne’s. As the narrator of “The Custom- House,” as well as of the whole The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne is everywhere present throughout the book. It is through his voice that interprets the story of the scarlet letter. By admitting himself as the narrator of the sketch does Hawthorne become the editor of a historical romance.