Nathaniel Hawthorne, Famous Old People

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Nathaniel Hawthorne’s second book for children,

Famous Old People

(1841), is the sequel to

Grandfather’s Chair

. Like

Grandfather’s Chair

,

Famous Old People

is composed of a Preface and eleven chapters, but four rather than five formally titled stories. Hawthorne playfully signals his continuation of the historical stories and of the narrative model that he had established in

Grandfather’s Chair

by beginning the Preface with “Grandfather again shoves his great Chair before the youthful public, and desires to make them acquainted with a new dynasty of occupants”. “The iron race of Puritans” who were portrayed in the first book for children are now replaced we are told by “quite a different set of men” (71). These men are governors, politicians, and soldiers who by both…

2117 words

Citation: Laffrado, Laura. "Famous Old People". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 August 2011; last revised 08 October 2018. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=33485, accessed 19 March 2024.]

33485 Famous Old People 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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