Ethan Brand. Symbols and Themes in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Short Story

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject American Studies – Literature, grade: 2, University of Innsbruck (American Studies), course: 19th Century American Short Stories, language: English, abstract: This paper should show an analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story Ethan Brand, published in 1850. First of all it should give an overview of the plot and the characters of the short story as well as symbols and themes in Ethan Brand. Some of the most important symbols should be analyzed from different point-of-views, as well as the themes which are, the essence in the short story. What is the Unpardonable Sin and what does Hawthorne want do show the reader by depicting it? Why are Puritan and Romantic elements so important in this short story? The paper should show its reader some aspects and various answers to these questions, always in context to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s life and the values he wanted to submit.