Nathaniel Hawthorne Quotes

A collection of quotes by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was an American novelist and short story writer known for his gothic tales and exploration of morality and human nature. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and descended from a long line of Puritan ancestors, a heritage that greatly influenced his work.

Hawthorne began his writing career as a journalist and editor for various periodicals, but it was his publication of "Twice-Told Tales" in 1837 that brought him recognition as a gifted storyteller. He went on to produce numerous acclaimed works, including "The Scarlet Letter" (1850), which chronicles the struggles of Hester Prynne, a woman condemned for adultery in the rigid Puritan society.

His other notable works include "The House of the Seven Gables" (1851), a story of an old New England family haunted by a curse, and "The Blithedale Romance" (1852), a novel that explores themes of utopianism and disillusionment.

Hawthorne's writing often delved into psychological complexities, sin, guilt, and the dark side of human nature. His distinctive style combines rich symbolism, allegory, and atmospheric descriptions, capturing the essence of 19th-century New England. His works remain influential and continue to be studied for their examination of morality and the human condition.

Nathaniel Hawthorne passed away in 1864, leaving behind a significant literary legacy that has secured his place as one of America's greatest authors.

Love, whether newly born, or aroused from a deathlike slumbe

Love, whether newly born, or aroused from a deathlike slumber, must always create sunshine, filling the heart so full of radiance, this it overflows upon the outward world.

Nathaniel Hawthorne


Oh, for the years I have not lived, but only dreamed of livi

Oh, for the years I have not lived, but only dreamed of living.

Nathaniel Hawthorne


We sometimes congratulate ourselves at the moment of waking

We sometimes congratulate ourselves at the moment of waking from a troubled dream it may be so the moment after death.

Nathaniel Hawthorne


Mountains are earth's undecaying monuments.

Mountains are earth's undecaying monuments.

Nathaniel Hawthorne


The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether o

The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove one's self a fool the truest heroism is to resist the doubt and the profoundest wisdom, to know when it ought to be resisted, and when it be obeyed.

Nathaniel Hawthorne


Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.

Nathaniel Hawthorne


You are the only person in the world that was ever necessary

You are the only person in the world that was ever necessary to me.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Love

He had been driven hither by the impulse of that Remorse whi

He had been driven hither by the impulse of that Remorse which dogged him everywhere, and whose own sister and closely linked companion was that Cowardice which invariably drew him back, with her tremulous gripe, just when the other impulse had hurried him to the verge of a disclosure.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Fear Truth Honesty Secrets Cowardice

A hero cannot be a hero unless in a heroic world.

A hero cannot be a hero unless in a heroic world.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Inspirational Hero

Thou are my only reality-- all other people are but shadows

Thou are my only reality-- all other people are but shadows to me: all events and actions, in which thou dost not mingle, are but dreams.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Reality Love Dreams

Our most intimate friend is not he to whom we show the worst

Our most intimate friend is not he to whom we show the worst, but the best of our nature.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Best

He had that sense, or inward prophecy,-- which a young man h

He had that sense, or inward prophecy,-- which a young man had better never have been born than not to have, and a mature man had better die at once than utterly to relinquish,-- that we are not doomed to creep on forever in the old bad way, but that, this very now, there are harbingers abroad of a golden era, to be accomplished in his own lifetime.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Future Hope Dream

The only sensible ends of literature are, first, the pleasur

The only sensible ends of literature are, first, the pleasurable toil of writing second, the gratification of one's family and friends and lastly, the solid cash.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Family

Every individual has a place to fill in the world and is imp

Every individual has a place to fill in the world and is important in some respect whether he chooses to be so or not.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Respect

A woman's chastity consists, like an onion, of a series of c

A woman's chastity consists, like an onion, of a series of coats.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Chastity

It contributes greatly towards a man's moral and intellectua

It contributes greatly towards a man's moral and intellectual health, to be brought into habits of companionship with individuals unlike himself, who care little for his pursuits, and whose sphere and abilities he must go out of himself to appreciate.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Health

All brave men love for he only is brave who has affections t

All brave men love for he only is brave who has affections to fight for, whether in the daily battle of life, or in physical contests.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Love

Selfishness is one of the qualities apt to inspire love.

Selfishness is one of the qualities apt to inspire love.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Selfishness

We sometimes congratulate ourselves at the moment of waking

We sometimes congratulate ourselves at the moment of waking from a troubled dream; it may be so the moment after death.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Death

I wonder that we Americans love our country at all, it havin

I wonder that we Americans love our country at all, it having no limits and no oneness; and when you try to make it a matter of the heart, everything falls away except one's native State; --neither can you seize hold of that, unless you tear it out of the Union, bleeding and quivering.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Patriotism