Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. His ancestors were Puritans, among which included William Hathorne. He was a strong defender of his faith and took part in the persecution of the Quakers during the seventeenth century. Hawthorne added the “w” to the family name himself, by the way. William Hathorne’s son, John, was a judge at the Salem witch trials. Hawthorne was left to take care of his grievous mother at …showed first 75 words of 790 total…

…showed last 75 words of 790 total…The Scarlet Letter, scholars described his handling of the pairs’ defiance of the Puritan community’s laws of behavior as one of literature’s most powerful examples of the theme of the individual versus society. He brought out the moral concerns of our American background today and figured out the spiritual history of our nation, then and now. He is still considered to be among the greatest American authors today.Works CitedHawthorne, Nathaniel. Discovering Biography.