"The Ambitious Guest" is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. First published in New-England Magazine in June of 1835, it is better known for its publication in the second volume of Twice-Told Tales in 1835.
Plot
A young traveler stops for the night with a family that lives in a "notch" next to a mountain. They make friendly conversation, interrupted once by the sound of a wagon carrying other travelers (who pause but do not go inside, continuing on with their journey) and then by the sound of rocks falling from the slope. The father reassures the visitor that rockfalls happen regularly without causing harm, but that the family has a "safe place" to go in the event of a serious collapse.
The group carries on with their friendly conversation. The visitor acknowledges that he is young and has no accomplishments of note, but hopes he will have "achieved my destiny" before he dies and then "I shall have built my monument!" The father expresses the wish for a more humble legacy, and the aged grandmother makes a request for her dying day.
Suddenly, they are alarmed by the sound of a much larger avalanche. They scream in fear of "The Slide!" and bolt outside for their safe place. But they are all caught up in the rockslide and killed, while the house is completely undamaged. Their bodies are swept away and never found. The narrator notes that some who see the house later think there is evidence of a visitor that night, but others disagree - the young man has in fact died without leaving any trace of his life.
The basis of the story is the Willey tragedy of Crawford Notch, New Hampshire.
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Categories: 1835 short stories | Short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne |
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Forest @ Wazoo
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Q. In my CP english class we were asked to read a short story written in the Romantic period of literature. the story i chose was The Ambitious Guest by Nathaniel Hawthorne. the thing i need help with is i have to find some examples of a Romantic Element in the story and explain why it fits in the romantic era. some characteristics we discussed were: 1. interest in the past, including legends 2. interest in the mysterious and supernatural as well as science 3.interest in nature appreciation of environment 4. seeing the world in an idealistic, romantic way (not realistic) 5. promoting the Noble Savage image;innocent child of nature; the notion civilization corrupts anything you know would be greatly appreciated thanks
Asked by fro_diva - Sun Dec 7 22:12:44 2008 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments
A. Have you read the story? Pardon my bluntness, but it's hard to imagine reading it without seeing every one of these characteristics in the story. For (1), think about how the last paragraphs justify the story as an explanation of a local legend. For (2), think about the grandmother's superstitions; for (3) Hawthorne's care in detailing the setting of his story, and for (4) the numerous ways that nature is personified. For (5), notice the stranger's comment about the "spirits of the past, who in old Indian times had their dwelling among these mountains" ... it's an especially useful passage that addresses all five of the characteristics you discussed in just one sentence. If you've neglected reading the story, or if you've given up… [cont.]
Answered by Billy C - Mon Dec 8 00:56:44 2008
