Perspective's reading response
ON HIS SHORT STORIES
On His Short Stories was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1851. This is taken from the preface to the 1851 edition of Twice-Told Tales. In perspectives reading, we see Hawthorne's intentions of his stories being full of heavy emotions. He says that even the happiest man could hardly laugh at this stories but also that an emotional woman probably would not cry while reading a Hawthorne story. His stories contain tameness, sentiment and symbols. (On His Short Stories, Hawthorne, 347)
Why is a “twilight atmosphere” more conducive to an appreciation of Hawthorne’s art than “sunshine”?
I would say that the tone of his stories are more fitting in the short time period of twilight. This is because in each story there is a bit of a sad ending that he writes, someone dies in almost all of them. It seems more fitting to read a story with a death in it during twilight than in the middle of the day with the sun shining. It would bring out more of his real intention of his stories because they are intentionally more sad and don’t always end with a fully wrapped up story. There is always opportunity for the reader to process what happened and compare it to their own life. He even says himself that "if opened in sunshine, it is apt to look exceedingly like a volume of blank pages" (On His Short Stories, Hawthorne, 347).
On His Short Stories was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1851. This is taken from the preface to the 1851 edition of Twice-Told Tales. In perspectives reading, we see Hawthorne's intentions of his stories being full of heavy emotions. He says that even the happiest man could hardly laugh at this stories but also that an emotional woman probably would not cry while reading a Hawthorne story. His stories contain tameness, sentiment and symbols. (On His Short Stories, Hawthorne, 347)
Why is a “twilight atmosphere” more conducive to an appreciation of Hawthorne’s art than “sunshine”?
I would say that the tone of his stories are more fitting in the short time period of twilight. This is because in each story there is a bit of a sad ending that he writes, someone dies in almost all of them. It seems more fitting to read a story with a death in it during twilight than in the middle of the day with the sun shining. It would bring out more of his real intention of his stories because they are intentionally more sad and don’t always end with a fully wrapped up story. There is always opportunity for the reader to process what happened and compare it to their own life. He even says himself that "if opened in sunshine, it is apt to look exceedingly like a volume of blank pages" (On His Short Stories, Hawthorne, 347).