The Blithedale Romance · Question
How does The Blithedale Romance develop the theme of Nature vs. Society?
Answer
The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne develops Nature vs. Society across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
The retreat to Blithedale represents an attempt to escape the artificial constraints of society and return to a simpler, more natural life, yet the characters find that societal prejudices, personal ambitions, and emotional entanglements follow them into the pastoral setting.
Coverdale's retreat into the woods represents a desire to escape social routine and reconnect with his inner self, contrasting the natural world with the artificiality of communal life.
Coverdale observes nature (trees, birds, a cat) in the midst of the city, reflecting on how the natural world persists within urban conventionalisms.
Priscilla's ethereal, ghost-like nature is contrasted with the coarse, gossipy society around her, emphasizing the tension between the natural and the social.
Evidence in the book
- XI: The Wood-Path
Coverdale's retreat into the woods represents a desire to escape social routine and reconnect with his inner self, contrasting the natural world with the artificiality of communal life.
- The Hotel
Coverdale observes nature (trees, birds, a cat) in the midst of the city, reflecting on how the natural world persists within urban conventionalisms.
- Fauntleroy
Priscilla's ethereal, ghost-like nature is contrasted with the coarse, gossipy society around her, emphasizing the tension between the natural and the social.
- The Masqueraders
Coverdale's walk through the rural landscape contrasts with the artificiality of the masquerade, and he reflects on his connection to the soil of Blithedale.
