A Select Party

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 31K words
Chapters: 4

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Select Party by Nathaniel HawthorneAuthor: Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Nov 1, 2005

Editor's review

"A Select Party" is likewise a short story from Hawthorne's Mosses from an Old Manse, and its title already hints at a gathering that is selective and meaningful. Hawthorne excelled at turning social scenes into observations with an allegorical tinge: how people are chosen and how they present themselves in company is often more worth pondering than the events themselves. This piece is best read as a literary sketch, where the emphasis lies not on plot development but on the narrator's subtle handling of social status, character, and moral implication. For readers studying nineteenth-century American short fiction, it offers a chance to see how Hawthorne carries a fairly deep allegory within a light frame. When reading, do not rush to ask "what happened"; instead notice who is invited, who is excluded, and the irony and reticence in the narrative tone. The original English carries the style of its period, so annotations or a translation are recommended as aids.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers interested in Hawthorne's short fiction and allegorical narrative
Students or teachers studying nineteenth-century American narrative technique
Readers who enjoy observing human nature and identity through social scenes
Learners with good English reading ability willing to read closely for irony

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a full-length story or strong dramatic conflict
Those unaccustomed to irony and allegory who simply want a clear plot
Readers with weak English who are unwilling to use annotations or a translation

Reading tips

First list the characters who appear at the gathering, then consider what the standard of "selection" implies.
Watch for shifts in the narrator's tone, distinguishing surface courtesy from underlying irony.
After reading, return to the title and consider the pun or allegorical point of "A Select Party."
Read it alongside "Fire Worship" to compare Hawthorne's different ways of handling everyday scenes.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What is the main appeal of this piece?

The appeal lies not in a complex plot but in how Hawthorne turns a gathering into social observation with an allegorical edge. Readers can note the criteria by which people are chosen, the narrator's ironic tone, and the hints about identity and human nature behind the social scene.

Can I understand it without relevant background knowledge?

The literal content is basically understandable, but Hawthorne's short stories often carry allegory and irony, and without background one may see only a surface gathering. It helps to know a little about the context of Mosses from an Old Manse before reading, and to read slowly, attending to the reticence and hints in the narrative tone.

Which should I read first, this or "Fire Worship"?

Both are short sketches, and the order matters little. To first feel Hawthorne's writing of domestic scenes and imagery, read "Fire Worship" first; to see him handle themes of society and identity, read "A Select Party" first. Reading them together is also illuminating.

Is the electronic edition suitable for classroom use?

As a public-domain electronic text, it is easy to distribute and read together in class, and its length suits a single discussion. But the original is nineteenth-century English, so teachers should prepare difficult words and background notes in advance and design discussion questions around the narrator's tone and the theme of "selection."

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About the author

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864 Author

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) was an American novelist known for his engagement with Puritan tradition and moral allegory. He wrote about sin, guilt, confession, and social prejudice in a restrained style with vivid imagery, often using historical settings and legendary tales to reveal the subtleties of human nature. The collection here holds 98 of his works, including the frequently translated novel The Scarlet Letter, the short-story collection Twice-Told Tales, and children's books drawn from myth and legend such as A Wonder Book for Girls & Boys, Tanglewood Tales, The Gorgon's Head, and The Three Golden Apples, showing his dual interest in New England history and classical myth. His writing has had a lasting influence on American literature's treatment of conscience and identity. Publicly available details of his life are limited, so they are not elaborated here.