24 Jun 1835 Jahr - Nathanial Hawthorn: May-Pole of Merry Mount

Beschreibung:

Nathanial Hawthorn wrote "May-Pole of Merry Mount" which explores ideas of joy, repression and the clash of cultures. This piece of writing was made to contrast two groups: The Merry Mounters, who celebrate life with joy and revelry, and the Puritans, who are stern and somber. The loaded passage "As the moral gloom of the world overpowers all systematic gaiety, even so was their home of wild mirth made desolate amid the sad forest"(Hawthorn, 634). The first part is referring to the Puritains stern and repressive world view, which ultimately foreshadows and suppresses the Merry Mounters "systematic gaiety" or organized joy. The term home of wild mirth symbolizes the Merry Mounters carefree and joyous community, which is rendered desolate by the encroaching "sad forest" of Puritanical repression. This contributed to the formation of the American identity because Hawthorn is trying to show people the external forces of societal norms and moral judgements. He presents this information to show that those thibgs can overpower individual or communal expressions of joy and Mirth. He's suggesting that as Americans we should find a balance between recognizing the value of joy while also respecting dicipline.

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