The Ambitious Guest
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- 109 Members Following
Follow a topic to see new activity, such as homework help questions and answers, in your personal feed on the homepage.
See Also
- Theory of Short Fiction (Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne (Cyclopedia of World Authors, Fourth Revised Edition)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne (Dictionary of World Biography: The 19th Century)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne (Identities & Issues in Literature)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne (Critical Survey of Long Fiction, Fourth Edition)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne (Critical Survey of Short Fiction, Second Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
- First Published: 1835
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: The early 1800’s
- Setting: Notch of the White Hills, Massachusetts
- Characters: The Ambitious Guest, Mother, Father, Eldest daughter, Aged grandmother, Younger children
- Genres: Short fiction, Domestic realism
- Subjects: Family or family life, Death or dying, Storms, Ambition, Disasters, Natural disasters
- Locales: United States, Massachusetts, North America
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.)
Want to read the whole thing?
Subscribe now to read the rest of this article. Plus, get access to:
- 30,000+ literature study guides
- Critical essays on more than 30,000 works of literature from Salem on Literature (exclusive to eNotes)
- An unparalleled literary criticism section. 40,000 full-length or excerpted essays.
- Content from leading academic publishers, all easily citable with our "Cite this page" button.
- 100% satisfaction guarantee READ MORE
Popular Questions
See all »- What is the summary of "The Ambitious Guest" by Nathaniel Hawthorne?
- What is the theme of the story "The Ambitious Guest"?
- What could be Hawthorne's theme or purpose for writing the story, "The Ambitious Guest"? none
- What is the problem in the short story "The Ambitious Guest"?
- What are examples of irony and foreshadowing in the story "The Ambitious Guest?" 5 examples would be great.
