The Critical Response to Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

(Hardback)

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"The Scarlet Letter" is virtually unique among works of American fiction because it has not lapsed from print in over 140 years. The history of its reception, which is fully articulated in the volume introduction, may be read as a case study in canon formation. The collection of documents in the volume outline the highs and lows of Nathaniel Hawthorne's literary reputation and this elevation of his first and best-known romance to the rank of masterpiece and classic. Also included is a selective bibliography of modern scholarship. Among the early documents reprinted are contemporary news accounts of Hawthorne's dismissal from the Salem Custom House in June 1849, which provide the immediate background to "The custom house" introduction in the story, the publisher James T. Fields's anecdotal version of the book's composition history, and a generous sheaf of notices from both American and British newspapers upon its publication in March, 1850. Of special value are the various essays and other materials that trace the institutionalization of the romance within the genteel tradition of American letters in the late 19th century. More recently, "The Scarlet Letter" has become something of an academic shibboleth, inspiring dozens of New Critical, psychoanalytical, feminist, and other readings, which are also represented in this collection. Prominent among modern critics whose essays appear are Neal Frank Doubleday, Darrel Abel, and Nina Baym. A number of reviews of theatrical and cinematic adaptations of the story also underscore its stature as a cultural icon. This volume is essential for serious research on Nathaniel Hawthorne and provides a convenient body of valuable commentary accessible even to the student reading "The Scarlet Letter" for the first time.

Reviews

Material not found in other compilations helps to justify the publication of this volume and dictates a place for this book in any collection where advanced study of Hawthorne is done. . . . The selected bibliography, prove a godsend for graduate students and beginning teachers.-The Nathaniel Hawthorne Review
Volumes in the "Critical Responses to Arts and Letters" series are intended to "form a useful, documentary history of the critical responses to the arts . . . that can be easily and profitably employed by students and scholars." This on Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter includes background on composition and history, contemporary American and British reviews, and changing views and approaches to critical reading. The final section has reviews of stage and film adaptations from 1876 to 1934. The section representing the period 1850-52 presents diverse contemporary responses as praise of the novel as a great moral lesson or finding a "nearly perfect style connected with defective taste." British reviews are mainly positive. "The Growth of Hawthorne's Posthumous Reputation" (89 pages, representing the period 1869-1927) includes reprints of Hallock's illustrations and reviews from Trollope to Van Doren. "Modern Criticism" (1939-90) gives evidence of changing approaches reflected in comments on Hester. The variety makes this a useful reference for this novel. The index gives easy access to the material, and the extensive bibliography will encourage the serious student to investigate further-Choice
"Material not found in other compilations helps to justify the publication of this volume and dictates a place for this book in any collection where advanced study of Hawthorne is done. . . . The selected bibliography, prove a godsend for graduate students and beginning teachers."-The Nathaniel Hawthorne Review
"Volumes in the "Critical Responses to Arts and Letters" series are intended to "form a useful, documentary history of the critical responses to the arts . . . that can be easily and profitably employed by students and scholars." This on Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter includes background on composition and history, contemporary American and British reviews, and changing views and approaches to critical reading. The final section has reviews of stage and film adaptations from 1876 to 1934. The section representing the period 1850-52 presents diverse contemporary responses as praise of the novel as a great moral lesson or finding a "nearly perfect style connected with defective taste." British reviews are mainly positive. "The Growth of Hawthorne's Posthumous Reputation" (89 pages, representing the period 1869-1927) includes reprints of Hallock's illustrations and reviews from Trollope to Van Doren. "Modern Criticism" (1939-90) gives evidence of changing approaches reflected in comments on Hester. The variety makes this a useful reference for this novel. The index gives easy access to the material, and the extensive bibliography will encourage the serious student to investigate further"-Choice

Author Bio

GARY SCHARNHORST is Professor of English at the University of New Mexico and coeditor of American Literary Realism. His book publications include The Lost Life of Horatio Alger, Jr. and Nathaniel Hawthorne: An Annotated Bibliography of Criticism Before 1900. His articles have appeared in a wide assortment of academic journals appropriate to American literature as well as essay collections in book form.