Foreigners in Their Own Land: Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Representation of Tolerated Strangers

Nathaniel Hawthorne, a foremost American author known for his gothic narratives on the early Puritans, was concerned with political issues, among which that of social and political tolerance stands at the forefront of his narrative. In the chapter I analyse the issue of the tolerance of unknown people in “The Seven Vagabonds,” “The Canterbury Pilgrims,” “Ethan Brand” and “The Ambitious Guest” using Wendy Brown’s theorization of tolerance and Judith Shklar concept of citizenship to show that Hawthorne presented a view of citizenship and hospitality that differed from the same prevalent ideas of his age.