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My Kinsman, Major Molineux | Introduction

‘‘My Kinsman, Major Molineux’’ was first published in the 1832 issue of The Token, an annual collection of fiction, poetry, and essays generally bought as a Christmas present. It was one of four stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the issue, but like all of the pieces in the magazine, it did not carry the author’s name. The story was not a favorite of the author’s, and it drew no special attention from readers. It was not included in either of Hawthorne’s first two collections of short stories, Twice-Told Tales (1842) and Mosses from an Old Manse (1846). Finally in 1851 it was published in the collection The Snow-Image and Other Twice-Told Tales. The story was not especially popular during Hawthorne’s lifetime, being greatly overshadowed by the novels that the writer produced in the 1850s.

In the second half of the twentieth century, however, the story took on a new life. Appreciated for its gentle irony and its glimpse at life in colonial New England, ‘‘My Kinsman, Major Molineux’’ has been widely anthologized, and has become a staple of literature courses at the high school and college levels. The story of a young man from the country who goes to the city to find his relative is typical in many ways of early nineteenth century American literature. ‘‘My Kinsman, Major Molineux’’ is held as an example of the themes, styles, and techniques of the period, and as a sample of the talents of one of America’s most important writers.

My Kinsman, Major Molineux Summary

The story opens with the narrator addressing the reader directly, setting the scene. The story takes place in New England ‘‘not far from a hundred years ago,’’ that is, approximately 1730. The colonies had not yet become independent of Great Britain, and passions were running high. At nine o’clock on a moonlit evening, a young man of eighteen lands by ferry at an unnamed city. His name is Robin, and, by the look of his clothes and manner, the ferryman can tell he has never been to the city before. Robin carries a ‘‘wallet,’’ which is a small knapsack, and a cudgel, or a short club. Paying the ferryman with almost all of his money, he sets off eagerly toward town.

As he walks through the outskirts of the city, it occurs to Robin that he does not know where he is going. Apparently, he is seeking the home of a relative, but none of the houses he passes seems grand enough to be his kinsman’s home. He continues walking, and gradually the houses become more elegant. Seeing a well-dressed man on the street, Robin grabs his coat and asks whether the man knows where ‘‘my kinsman, Major Molineux’’ makes his home. As soon as Robin asks this question, the barbers in a nearby shop stop their work, and the other man’s expression turns angry. Robin does not notice these reactions, and when the man refuses to help him, Robin attributes the refusal to the man’s country manners. Clearly this man is not well-bred enough to deal civilly with a stranger.

As Robin walks on, the smell of tar is in the air. He finds an inn full of people, and asks the... » Complete My Kinsman, Major Molineux Summary