The Ambitious Guest

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Ambitious Guest


At a glance:

The Story

“The Ambitious Guest” begins in a moment of great tranquillity, with a family cozily gathered around their hearth. Father and mother, eldest daughter and aged grandmother, are briefly described as assuming the guises of persons of their ages who are filled with great contentment. Although they are entirely comfortable, mention is made of the harsh winter weather and the dangerous position of the cottage, over which towers a mountain. The noise of stones tumbling down the mountain has often startled the family at midnight.

Throughout the story, a contrast is...

(The entire page is 1627 words.)

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