Home > My Kinsman, Major Molineaux Summary & Study Guide

My Kinsman, Major Molineaux (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)

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Although on the surface “My Kinsman, Major Molineaux” appears to be a simple story, it offers much information about Hawthorne's experience, attitudes, interests, and artistic aims. This ability to suggest a wealth of meaning in compressed form is a sure sign of genius. The moral of the story is that no one should look to others for help: The individual must learn to look out for himself or herself.

This message is expressed in philosophical terms by Hawthorne's friend and mentor the Transcendental philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson in his famous essay “Self-Reliance”...

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