Blithedale Romance

Blithedale Romance

1. The main thesis of The Blithedale Romance is how the reformation of a group of socialists into a utopian society is doomed to fail because the detriments of each individual topple the balance of the community. This is supported by the faults of the novel’s main characters. Mr. Hollingsworth is a philanthropist with the idea of turning the Blithedale farm into a reform community for criminals. His downside is that he doesn’t listen to any other reasoning than his own, and that his lack of caring towards others indirectly causes the death of Zenobia. Zenobia herself is a spoiled feminist and her vanity and love for Hollingsworth causes both the neglect of Pricilla and her own death, respectively. Mr. Coverdale’s faults are how he himself tries to force his ideals and poetic fancies on other people. His ideas rub against those of Hollingsworth, causing a row between the two, and ultimately causing him to leave the farm.
2. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Blithedale Romance had a large impact upon American Literature. At the time of its writing, American authors looked heavily towards British literature as a source to draw both ideas and styles from. Consequentially, this lead to the publication of many books about knights in shining armor, the medieval ages, and other such topics of English origin. Many of the stories often took place in England and Europe as well; very little was written that could actually be considered American literature. Hawthorne, however, was one of the first successful American authors to actually write about America and the experience of its people. Granted, Hawthorne’s style was mildly English in nature, but the plotline and setting where strictly American. He was one of the first authors to write and shape American literature. In addition to this, he cleverly used foreshadowing in a stunning yet gripping way, that is still copied to this date
3. Nathaniel Hawthorne reflects both a negative and positive account on the social...

Similar Essays