Radu Cozmei. Nathaniel Hawthornes The Custom House Revisited.

Universitatea
Petre Andrei. ANUAR. Tomul I. !im"a si !iteratura. Iasi#Casa de editura enus$
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NATHANIEL HAWTHORNES THE CUSTOM-HOUSE REVISITED
RADU COZMEI
As a s-et.h meant to introdu.e The Scarlet Letter, The Custom House (rovides the
reader with an a..ount o/ the authors e0(erien.e as a .hie/ e0e.utive o//i.er o/ the
.ustoms and des.ri"es the .ir.umstan.es whi.h led to the .reation o/ the now /amous
novel$ set in the atmos(here o/ the ,1
th
.entur2 Puritan 3oston.
The te0t is (er/e.tl2 illustrative o/ the des.ri(tive$ auto"io4ra(hi.al$ humorous$ non+
s2m"oli. mode$ and stands in .lear .ontrast with the title and the main "od2 o/ the
literar2 stru.ture$ whi.h are .hara.terised "2 o"li5ueness and am"i4uit2. The 6alem
har"our is (resented at a .ertain .hronolo4i.all2 determined moment in its histor2$
with its individual and t2(i.al details$ and with a diminished de4ree o/
understatement. The venera"le (ersona4es des.ri"ed in the s-et.h are the e(itome o/
non+s2m"oli. readers.
The dis.over2 o/ the red .loth with its 4olden em"roider2 and the rea.tions o/ the
narrator are (ointin4 to the -ind o/ stor2 whi.h is to /ollow# he (er.eives it as a
m2sti. s2m"ol 4eneratin4 a (ower o/ its own$ invitin4 anal2sis and inter(retation.
Usin4 the meta(hor o/ the moon"eams and the mirror$ Hawthorne de(i.ts his (ro.ess
o/ .reation as a dialo4ue "etween the A.tual and the Ima4inar2$ leadin4 to the
develo(ment o/ a (la.e where ever2thin4 meets and min4les in an una..ounta"le
order o/ e0isten.e and the real$ the .on.rete is to "e turned into a s(iritual$ endurin4
(resen.e "2 the evo.ation o/ the invisi"le$ immanent meanin4.
The Custom House has a dou"le /un.tion# it illustrates the o((osition "etween the
linear and the s2m"oli. modes$ and (osits the aim and some o/ the (ro.edures
envisa4ed "2 Hawthorne in the writin4 o/ The Scarlet Letter.
7 N7UA I8ITA IN A9A !UI NATHANI:! HA;TH7RN:
Te0tul intitulat ama (re/ateaza romanul Litera Stacojie si "ene/i.iaza in 4eneral de
o a(re.iere moderata din (artea .riti.ilor din (ri.ina unei <u0ta(uneri a(arent
ne<usti/i.ate a unor materiale diverse tratand e0(erinta autorului in .alitatea sa de
ins(e.tor+se/ al vamii din 6alem$ .ir.umstantele .e au dus la reda.tarea Literei
Stacojii$ .on.e(tia sa des(re .reatia literara si o in.er.are de de/inire a .ate4oriei
literare de roman.e. Prezentul studiu .onstitue o tentativa de (lasare intr+un .onte0t
istori. a te0tului studiat si de identi/i.are a relatiei dintre a.esta si romanul Litera
Stacojie in sensul evaluarii sale .a vehi.ol (re4atind .ititorul sa 4liseze de la (ra.ti.a
stilului linear$ des.ri(tiv$ auto"io4ra/i.$ .atre un dis.urs sim"oli.+ale4ori. dominat de
am"i4uitate si de o tendinta de (roli/erare a sensurilor.
The s-et.h em(lo2ed "2 Nathaniel Hawthorne as an introdu.tion to his novel
The Scarlet Letter$ su..eeded in sur(risin4 man2 literar2 .ommentators ever sin.e its
(u"li.ation in 9ar.h ,='&.
;hile some o/ his /irst readers were outra4ed "2 the ironi. (resentation o/ the
/ormer ;hi4 .ollea4ues o/ the author$ later .riti.s were mostl2 satis/ied to .lassi/2 the
,
te0t as a .olle.tion o/ "rilliant /ra4ments# a statement o/ the (ro"lems in an artists
li/e$ authenti.ation o/ The Scarlet Letter$ a de/inition o/ The Roman.e > all mi0ed
hastil2 with to(i.al satire on the s(oils s2stem$ .omi. relie/ /or the stor2 o/ Hester
Pr2nne$ and (ortraits o/ Hawthornes .ontem(oraries in 6alem.
,
The (ur(ose o/ this endeavor is to anal2ze the relation "etween the
introdu.tion and the novel in order to identi/2 the /un.tions assi4ned "2 Hawthorne to
this shorter (ie.e and the role it (la2s in "uildin4 the reader+res(onse The Scarlet
Letter is -nown to eli.it.
1. Facts
3etween ,=?* and ,=?) Nathaniel Hawthorne o..u(ied the (osition o/
6urve2or /or the @istri.t o/ 6alem and 3everl2 and Ins(e.tor o/ the Revenue /or the
Port o/ 6alem$ due to his (oliti.al .onne.tions in the @emo.rati. Part2.
In a letter to :(es 6ar4ent$ a 3oston editor and <ournalist$ Hawthorne
e0(ressed his e0(e.tation that the <o" .ould (rovide him with a .onstant in.ome and
allow him to (ursue his literar2 interests#
It is no 4reat a//air$ "ut suits me well enou4h$ as ensurin4 me a .om/orta"le
livin4$ with a little mar4in /or lu0uries$ and o..u(2in4 onl2 a moderate (ortion
o/ time > so that I shall have as mu.h /reedom /or literar2 em(lo2ment as
hithertoA
BCuoted "2 :.H.9illerD
%
To his disa((ointment$ durin4 the three 2ears he s(ent in this (osition$ his
.reative drive was to a 4reat e0tent ina.tive.
Eollowin4 the ;hi4 vi.tor2 in the ele.tions o/ ,=?=$ he lost his (ost at the
6alem Custom House and was a"le to .on.entrate on his writin4$ (rodu.in4 his
master(ie.e$ The Scarlet Letter.
2. Cot!ts o" T#! C$sto% Ho$s!
As a te0t meant to introdu.e The Scarlet Letter, The Custom House (rovides
the reader with an a..ount o/ the authors e0(erien.e as a .hie/ e0e.utive o//i.er o/
the .ustoms$ des.ri"es the .ir.umstan.es whi.h led to the .reation o/ the novel$ set in
the atmos(here o/ the ,1
th
.entur2 Puritan 3oston$ and (resents Hawthornes views
.on.ernin4 the (ro.ess o/ literar2 .reation and some o/ the .hara.teristi. /eatures o/
roman.e.
2.1. Ha&t#o'!s act()(t* as a S$')!*o'
The 6alem har"or is (resented at a .ertain .hronolo4i.all2 determined moment
in its histor2$ with its individual and t2(i.al details.
The auto"io4ra(hi.al material and Hawthornes o"servations re4ardin4 6alem$
the lo.al (eo(le and the .ustomhouse itsel/$ show the e0isten.e o/ a .ertain amount o/
a..umulated hostilit2 a4ainst the town and its inha"itantsF 2et$ in a /amiliar (attern in
his art and li/e$ a44ression slides into moderation /or he was tied to 6alem
emotionall2 and ima4inativel2.
2.2. F(+(, t#! +oc$%!ts
The .ir.umstan.es that lead to the writin4 o/ The Scarlet Letter in.lude the
dis.over2 o/ the do.uments .ontainin4 the in/ormation a"out the li/e o/ the heroine$
Hester Pr2nne$ and the stran4e attra.tion e0(erien.ed "2 the narrator u(on /indin4 the
m2sterious (ie.e o/ .loth "earin4 the letter A.
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There was somethin4 a"out it that 5ui.-ened an instinctive curiosity$ that made
me undo the /aded red ta(e$ that tied u( the (a.-a4e$ with the sense that a
treasure would here "e "rou4ht to li4ht.
G
H itali.s mineI
AAA. J AAA.
3ut the o"<e.t that most drew m2 attention to the m2sterious (a.-a4e was a
.ertain a//air o/ fine red cloth$ mu.h worn and /aded$ There were tra.es a"out it
o/ gold embroidery$ whi.h$ however$ was 4reatl2 /ra2ed and de/a.ed$ so that
none$ or ver2 little$ o/ the 4litter was le/t. It had "een wrou4ht$ as was eas2 to
(er.eive$ with wonderful sill of needleworF and the stit.h Bas I am assured "2
ladies .onversant with su.h m2steriesD 4ives eviden.e o/ a now /or4otten art$
not to "e dis.overed even "2 the (ro.ess o/ (i.-in4 out the threads.
?
H itali.s
mineI
AAAAJAAAA
And 2et it strangely interested me. 92 e2es fastened themselves u(on the old
scarlet letter$ and would not "e turned aside. Certainl2 there was some dee!
meaning in it$ most worth2 o/ inter(retation$ and whi.h$ as it were$ streamed
/orth /rom the mystic symbol$ su"tl2 .ommuni.atin4 itsel/ to m2 sensi"ilities$
"ut evadin4 the anal2sis o/ m2 mind.
'
H itali.s mineI
AAA. J AAA.
AI ha((ened to (la.e it on m2 "reast. It seemed to meKthe reader ma2 smile$
"ut must not dou"t m2 wordKit seemed to me$ then$ that I e0(erien.ed a
sensation not alto4ether (h2si.al$ 2et almost so$ as o/ burning heat$ and as i/ the
letter were not o/ red .loth$ "ut red+hot iron. I shuddered$ and involuntaril2 let it
/all u(on the /loor.
*
H itali.s mineI
The narrator des.ri"es his rea.tions in sensor2 and (s2.holo4i.al terms$ the
latter in.ludin4 a "lend o/ emotions and intelle.tual .uriosit2 whi.h he .annot e0(lain
in a rational wa2. The (resentation o/ this en.ounter is$ at the same time$ an attem(t
to (romote the letter as a s2m"ol$ and a rhetori.al maneuver aimed at determinin4 the
reader to identi/2 with the narrator and to ado(t his wa2 o/ a((roa.hin4 the s2m"ol as
well as the stor2 itsel/.
A(art /rom the narrators (er.e(tions$ the esta"lishment o/ the m2sterious A as
a s2m"ol is also su((orted "2 the elements in.luded in its des.ri(tion$ that is$ the
ar.het2(al .olors Bs.arlet and 4oldD$ the artistr2 o/ the em"roider2 and its intri.a.2
whi.h re(resents a sort o/ lost lan4ua4e.
2.-. T#! c'!at(o .'oc!ss a+ t#! +!"((t(o o" 'o%ac!
A si4ni/i.ant (art o/ the s-et.h is dedi.ated to the (resentation o/ the (ro.ess
o/ .reation as well as to the des.ri(tion o/ the roman.e as a literar2 .ate4or2. The
/ormer is e0(lained "2 means o/ the .om"ined intera.tions "etween moonli4ht$ .oal+
/ire$ and the mirror ima4e$ whi.h .ontri"ute to the develo(ment o/ an ade5uate
medium /or the writin4 o/ roman.e#
A .hilds shoeF the doll$ seated in her little wi.-er .arria4eF the ho""2+horseK
whatever$ in a word$ has "een used or (la2ed with durin4 the da2 is now
invested with a 5ualit2 o/ strangeness and remoteness$ thou4h still almost as
vividl2 (resent as "2 da2li4ht. Thus$ there/ore$ the /loor o/ our /amiliar room
has "e.ome a neutral territory$ somewhere "etween the real world and /air2+
land$ where the Actual and the "maginary ma2 meet$ and ea.h im"ue itsel/ with
the nature o/ the otherA.. The somewhat dim coal fire has an essential
in/luen.e in (rodu.in4 the e//e.t whi.h I would des.ri"eA.. This warmer li4ht
G
min4les itsel/ with the .old s!irituality of the moon#beams$ and .ommuni.ates$
as it were$ a heart and sensibilities of human tenderness to the /orms whi.h
/an.2 summons u(. It .onverts them /rom snow+ima4es into men and women.
Llan.in4 at the looing#glass$ we "eholdKdee( within its haunted ver4eKthe
smoulderin4 4low o/ the hal/+e0tin4uished anthra.ite$ the white moon+"eams on
the /loor$ and a re(etition o/ all the 4leam and shadow o/ the (i.ture$ with one
remove /urther /rom the a.tual$ and nearer to the ima4inative. Then$ at su.h an
hour$ and with this s.ene "e/ore him$ i/ a man$ sittin4 all alone$ .annot dream
stran4e thin4s$ and ma-e them loo- li-e truth$ he need never tr2 to write
roman.es.
1
H itali.s mineI
The des.ri(tion o/ the roman.e+/riendl2 territor2 in.ludes su44estions
.on.ernin4 Hawthornes views on the .hara.teristi.s o/ this literar2 4enre. A..ordin4
to him$ the roman.e should rel2 on a dialo4ue involvin4 the (arti.i(ation o/ A.tualit2$
Ima4ination$ .old s(iritualit2 and human sensi"ilit2 that is to "e (resented in a mirror+
li-e (ers(e.tive dominated "2 the in/luen.e o/ the Ima4inar2.
This (oint o/ view is .om(leted with a short Roman.e 9ani/esto on the same
(a4e#
It was a /oll2$ with the materialit2 o/ this dail2 li/e (ressin4 so intrusivel2 u(on
me$ to attem(t to /lin4 m2sel/ "a.- into another a4e$ or to insist on creating the
semblance o/ a world out o/ air2 matter$ when$ at ever2 moment$ the im(al(a"le
beauty of my soa!#bubble was "ro-en "2 the rude .onta.t o/ some a.tual
.ir.umstan.e. The wiser e//ort would have "een to diffuse thought and
imagination through the o!a$ue substance o/ to+da2$ and thus to ma-e it a
bright trans!arencyF to s!iritualise the burden that "e4an to wei4h so heavil2F
to see-$ resolutel2$ the true and indestructible value that la2 hidden in the (ett2
and wearisome in.idents$ and ordinar2 .hara.ters with whi.h I was now
.onversant.
=
Hitali.s mineI
The solution /or a writer in a (ra4mati. so.iet2 is to avoid the .reation o/ an
e0.essivel2 ima4inar2 world whi.h .ould "e (ut in too shar( a .ontrast with A.tualit2.
Eurther$ A.tualit2 is to re.eive a s(iritual in/usion o/ ima4inative Thou4ht that .ould
allow a..ess to authenti. values whi.h e0ist even in the least a((ealin4 as(e.ts o/
dail2 li/e.
-. Coc/$s(o
The in.lusion o/ The Custom House in the volume The Scarlet Letter was
(rimaril2 determined "2 the a((li.ation o/ the usual solution em(lo2ed "2
Hawthorne$ whi.h .onsisted in the asso.iation o/ the main te0t to an introdu.tor2$
shorter one$ meant to e0(lain his intentions and his aestheti. .hoi.es. The unusual
element in this .ase is re(resented "2 the a"undant (ersonal data re4ardin4 the author
himsel/ as well as the so.ial environment he .ame in .onta.t with$ a situation
a((arentl2 motivated "2 the sho.- /elt "2 Hawthorne on the o..asion o/ his "ein4
removed$ /or (oliti.al reasons$ /rom his administrative (osition.
32 (resentin4 the /i.tional sour.e o/ the roman.e and "2 dis.ussin4 the
(ro"lems asso.iated with the .om(li.ated (ro.ess o/ writin4 roman.es$ Hawthorne
(osits the aim and some o/ the (ro.edures he envisa4es to use in writin4 The Scarlet
Letter. All the (arti.i(ants and the (ro.esses involved in the .reation o/ roman.e Bi.e.$
realit2$ s(iritualit2$ ima4ination$ sensi"ilit2$ mani(ulation o/ (er.e(tion "2 means o/
?
mirror+e//e.ts$ and the revelation o/ authenti. valuesD are also (resent in the ma-in4
and /un.tionin4 o/ s2m"ols.
The (re/a.e is also used as a means to su44est the transition /rom the linear$
des.ri(tive$ auto"io4ra(hi.al$ 4ossi(2$ humorous dis.ourse$ to the am"i4uous$ s(atial$
s2m"oli. mode.
The venera"le (ersona4es des.ri"ed in the s-et.h are the e(itome o/ non+
s2m"oli. readersF one o/ the most re(resentative mem"ers o/ the Custom House
.on4re4ation (ossesses the rare (er/e.tion o/ A animal nature$ the moderate
(ro(ortion o/ intelle.t$ and HaI ver2 tri/lin4 admi0ture o/ moral and s(iritual
in4redientsF these latter 5ualities$ indeed$ "ein4 in "arel2 enou4h measure to -ee( the
old 4entleman /rom wal-in4 on all+/ours.
)

There is nothin4 m2sterious a"out the (oliti.al s2m"ols mentioned in the te0t
Bthe"anner o/ the re(u"li. and the Ameri.an ea4le
,&
DF the2 /un.tion e0(li.itl2 as
o//i.ial semioti. devi.es re(resentin4 the U.6.A. and her institutions.
The shi/t towards the s2m"oli. mode is a.hieved with the hel( o/ the (assa4es
des.ri"in4 the dis.over2 o/ the old do.uments and the /as.inatin4 (ie.e o/ .loth$ the
(ro.ess o/ literar2 .reation and the .hara.teristi.s o/ roman.eF these /ra4ments
su44est the ne.essit2 /or the reader to ado(t a di//erent mode o/ inter(retation$ whi.h
will "e.ome an inevita"le solution durin4 the readin4 o/ the novel.
In his introdu.tor2 s-et.h$ The Custom House$ Hawthorne a.hieves three
o"<e.tives whi.h are relevant /or the (ro.ess o/ s2m"oli.+alle4ori. re.u(eration that is
meant to a..om(an2 the readin4 o/ the roman.e# he (resents his artisti. intentions$ he
mani(ulates the reader into ado(tin4 the s2m"oli.+alle4ori. mode o/ inter(retation$
and introdu.es his main a.tor$ the 6.arlet !etter$ as a (otential s2m"ol whi.h will
(rove its (owers in the roman.e itsel/.
R!"!'!c!s
,. 9.Call$ @an. The @esi4n o/ Hawthornes Custom+House. Nineteenth+
Centur2 Ei.tion. %,# ? B9ar.h$ ,)*1D$ (.G?).
%. 9iller$ :dwin Haviland. Salem "s %y &welling 'lace. !ondon# Lerald
@u.-worth M Co.!td.$ ,)),$ (. %?%.
G. Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. An Authoritative Te(t. )acgrounds
and Sources. *riticism. :ds. 3radle2$ 6.ulle2$ Ri.hmond Croom 3eatt2$ :.
Hudson !on4$ and 6e2mour Lross. A Norton Criti.al :dition. %nd ed. New
Nor-# ;.;. Norton M Com(an2$ ,)1=$ (.%*.
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