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Mythopoesis in the Blithedale Romance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2020

Peter B. Murray
Peter B. Murray*
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 4
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Extract

Recent studies of The Blithedale Romance have demonstrated conclusively the importance of distinguishing the perspective of Miles Coverdale, the first person narrator, from that of Hawthorne. Coverdale thinks of himself as an observer of a drama, as “Chorus in a classic play.” He holds himself aloof so that he may the better act as an interpreter of the action of the Romance. As he interprets, he reveals himself, and through him we get Hawthorne's vision of the internal conflicts which the artist must suffer.

Type
Research Article
Information
PMLA , Volume 75 , Issue 5 , December 1960 , pp. 591 - 596
Copyright
Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1960

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References

1 See Frederick C. Crews, “A New Reading of The Blithe-dale Romance,” AL, xxix (May 1957), 147–170; Roy R. Male, Jr., “Toward The Waste Land: The Theme of The Blithedale Romance,” CE, xvi (1954), 277–283 and 295; Frank Davidson, “Toward a Re-Evaluation of The Blithedale Romance,” NEQ, xxv (Sept. 1952), 374–383; and Hyatt H. Waggoner, Hawthorne (Cambridge, Mass., 1955), pp. 174–194.

2 Riverside Ed. of Works, v (New York, 1883), p. 430. The Blithedale Romance occupies pp. 325–600. All references to the Romance are to the text and pagination of this edition.

3 See Frank Davidson's full discussion of the veil symbol.

4 Compare Roy R. Male's analysis of the theme of the Romance.

5 Hyatt H. Waggoner has a thorough discussion of fire and light imagery in the Romance.