Assingment paper 205

 This blog task is Assingment of paper 205- Cultural Studies.

Q-Hawthorne and His Market

Hawthorne and His Market: Understanding Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Position in the Nineteenth-Century Literary Marketplace.

Introduction

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864), one of the major figures of American literature, occupies a unique place in the history of authorship and literary production. His fiction—The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, and numerous short stories—has earned him canonical status, but Hawthorne’s relationship with the literary marketplace of his time was complex and often uneasy. Writing in a period when American literature was shifting from gentlemanly amateurism to commercial professionalism, Hawthorne had to navigate changing publishing structures, fluctuating reader expectations, and the economic pressures of authorship.

This blog examines Hawthorne and his market, focusing on how 19th-century publishing conditions shaped his career, the challenges he faced in earning a living as a writer, and the ways in which his artistic ideals sometimes conflicted with the demands of mass readership. It also explores his dependence on magazines, his negotiation with publishers, and the growth of his reputation in the larger American book market.

Hawthorne’s Early Struggles: A Writer Without a Market

Hawthorne’s early career was marked by obscurity and financial insecurity. After graduating from Bowdoin College in 1825, he spent almost twelve years writing in relative isolation. His first novel, Fanshawe (1828), published anonymously, failed commercially. At this point, the American book market was underdeveloped, with small print runs, poor distribution, and intense competition from cheap British reprints. Authors rarely earned money; they relied on patronage, subscriptions, or non-literary work.

Hawthorne published short stories in periodicals such as The Token and The New-England Magazine, but payments were minimal. This early phase reveals a central difficulty: the American market had not yet created the conditions for writers to sustain themselves purely through literary work, especially writers of fiction rather than popular sermons, travel narratives, and moral instructions.

During these years, Hawthorne developed the distinctive style that later made him famous—symbolic, psychological, and morally complex—but the market did not immediately reward such innovation.

Magazines, Annuals, and the Serialized Market

The rise of magazines and gift books in the 1830s and 1840s offered Hawthorne a new, though still precarious, source of income. Periodicals needed material to fill their pages, and Hawthorne’s short fiction—rich in allegory, imagination, and gothic atmosphere—fit these needs well.

However, this system also shaped what authors wrote. Many magazines sought sentimental or moral tales, which sometimes clashed with Hawthorne’s darker vision. Still, Hawthorne adapted when necessary, producing stories like “The Minister’s Black Veil,” “Young Goodman Brown,” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” which combined moral themes with psychological depth.

Though magazines gave Hawthorne visibility, they did not give him stability. Payments were low, contracts were irregular, and editors often demanded revisions. Thus, Hawthorne found himself dependent on a market that valued content but undervalued writers.

Becoming a “Professional” Author: The Scarlet Letter and Market Success

Hawthorne’s breakthrough came with The Scarlet Letter (1850). Published by Ticknor and Fields, one of the most influential American publishing houses, the novel received critical acclaim and finally brought him financial security. The book sold well for its time—around 7,000 copies in the first year—which was significant in the mid-19th century.

The Scarlet Letter succeeded partly because the American reading public was growing. Rising literacy rates, cheaper printing technologies, and a stronger national culture created a favorable market. The novel’s themes—sin, guilt, community judgment, and personal identity—also resonated deeply with American readers.

With this success, Hawthorne became what scholars call a *professional author*, someone able to live from literary income. Yet this did not entirely free him from economic pressures. He still needed the support of his publishers, and the market still influenced his writing pace and choice of projects.

Hawthorne and the Constraints of the Literary Market

Despite his later success, Hawthorne often expressed *unease with the commercialization of literature*. He preferred artistic independence and worried about writing for money rather than inspiration. His prefaces frequently show a self-conscious struggle between art and market.

His later novels, including The House of the Seven Gables (1851) and The Blithedale Romance (1852), were shaped by a mixture of artistic ambition and economic necessity. Hawthorne produced these books at a rapid pace because he needed to maintain income after losing his government job at the Salem Custom House.

This pressure sometimes caused emotional strain. In letters, he complained about deadlines, public expectations, and the “weariness” of producing fiction on demand. At the same time, he benefited from the growth of:

•  national literary journals
•  book tours and author publicity
•  international publishing interest
•  emerging copyright protections

Thus, Hawthorne lived in a transitional period when writers were beginning to gain recognition but were still dependent on market forces.

Publishers, Patronage, and Networks: Hawthorne’s Literary Relationships

Hawthorne’s market position was shaped not only by the economy but also by key relationships:

1. Sophia Peabody Hawthorne

His wife provided emotional and intellectual support, encouraging him to publish and helping him revise manuscripts.

2. Ticknor and Fields

This publishing duo played a crucial role in marketing Hawthorne, paying him royalties, and promoting his reputation. Their house became a center of the American literary economy.

3. Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalists

Though Hawthorne kept a certain distance from the Transcendentalist movement, his residence at the Old Manse and his connections with Emerson, Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller expanded his visibility.

4. Herman Melville

Melville’s essay “Hawthorne and His Mosses” (1850) elevated Hawthorne’s status and framed him as a profound psychological and philosophical writer, strengthening his market identity.

These networks show that Hawthorne’s market success was never purely individual; it was tied to the literary culture surrounding him.

Long-Term Reception and the Posthumous Market

After Hawthorne’s death in 1864, his works continued to gain popularity. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw him included in:

•  academic syllabi
•  literary anthologies
•  national literary histories
•  international scholarly criticism

His symbolic style influenced later American authors and ensured that his works remained commercially viable.

Over time, the market transformed Hawthorne from a struggling short story writer into a canonical figure who shaped American identity and literary production.

Conclusion

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s relationship with the literary marketplace was shaped by struggle, adaptation, and eventual recognition. He lived at a time when American authorship was becoming professionalized, and his career reflects the tensions between artistic ideals and market realities. Hawthorne needed the market but also resisted its pressures. His eventual success with The Scarlet Letter allowed him to achieve financial stability, but his letters and prefaces reveal ongoing discomfort with writing as a commodity.

Today, Hawthorne stands as an example of how a writer’s artistic vision can survive—even flourish—despite the constraints of a competitive literary economy. His legacy reminds us that the history of American literature is inseparable from the history of its publishing and reading cultures.

References:

 Arac, Jonathan. “Hawthorne and the Aesthetic Marketplace.” American Literary History, vol. 3, no. 1, 1991, pp. 1–31.

 Reynolds, Larry J. Hawthorne and the Publishing World. University of Missouri Press, 2010.

 Brodhead, Richard H. The School of Hawthorne. Oxford University Press, 1986.

 Mellow, James R. Nathaniel Hawthorne in His Times. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994.

 Melville, Herman. “Hawthorne and His Mosses.” The Literary World, 1850.

 Person, Leland S. A Historical Guide to Nathaniel Hawthorne. Oxford University Press, 2001.

 Miller, Edwin Haviland. Salem Is My Dwelling Place: A Life of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Iowa State University Press, 1991.

 Baym, Nina. “Hawthorne and His Women Readers.” American Quarterly, vol. 23, no. 1, 1971.

 Gollin, Rita. Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Truth of Dreams. Louisiana State University Press, 1979.