43 pages • 1 hour read
Nathaniel HawthorneMy Kinsman Major Molineux
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1831A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Literary Devices
Third-Person Omniscient POV
In literature, there are two types of third-person narration: omniscient and limited. The third-person omniscient point of view allows the narrator to access and share the thoughts of all characters. Typically, the third-person limited point of view only follows the thoughts of a single character—most often those of the protagonist.
In “My Kinsman, Major Molineux,” the author uses omniscient narration, though the story most often follows Robin’s perspective. Through Robin’s point of view, we are able to see his internal struggle measured against external conflict. This allows us to observe—with greater depth—his progression from optimistic to melancholy to maniacal.
While the story mostly follows Robin’s perspective, there are instances when the POV shifts to other characters. The first example is when the ferryman observes Robin:
While he stood on the landing-place, searching in either pocket for the means of fulfilling his agreement, the ferryman lifted a lantern, by the aid of which, and the newly risen moon, he took a very accurate survey of the stranger’s figure (1).
Hawthorne follows this quote with a description of Robin from the ferryman’s perspective. By shifting to the ferryman’s POV, the author provides the reader with a detailed description of Robin’s appearance.
The perspective again shifts when Hawthorne introduces the innkeeper:
Being in the second generation from a French Protestant, [the innkeeper] seemed to have inherited the courtesy of his parent nation; but no variety of circumstance was ever known to change his voice from the one shrill note in which he now addressed Robin (4).
This is background information that Robin’s perspective couldn’t have provided, as he’s never met the innkeeper.
Another instance of a perspective shift is when the helpful stranger encounters Robin: “Perceiving a country youth, apparently homeless and without friends, [the stranger] accosted [Robin] in a tone of real kindness” (12). Through the stranger’s lens, it quickly becomes established that he intends to treat Robin with generosity.
Irony
Throughout the story, the author uses irony to portray an uncivilized civilization. Robin’s admiration of Molineux has created an expectation that the city will carry an air of dignity and sophistication. However, upon entering Boston, which is a major colonial city, Robin promptly encounters boorish behavior. Almost immediately, the old man treats Robin rudely and threatens him with being “brought acquainted with the stocks” (3).
At the inn, Robin is surrounded by hard-drinking seafarers, and is also in the presence of the horned man. In this setting, he is treated churlishly by the innkeeper who compares Robin to a young man on a wanted poster.
Finally, at the procession, we see the most barbaric behavior. In front of a cheering mob, Molineux, who has been tarred and feathered, is pulled along in an open cart.
Hawthorne uses irony to illustrate the importance of differentiating between mob rule and morally-sound political change. Though British governance may be unjust, this does not mean that any given act of rebellion is principled and honorable.
Bildungsroman
Typically, a bildungsroman is a coming-of-age story in which a young protagonist sets out into unfamiliar parts of the world, where they overcome challenges and demonstrate psychological growth in their ascendance to adulthood. It is a literary genre that emerged in Germany in the 19th century. The term was first used by philologist Karl Morgenstern.
Throughout “My Kinsman, Major Molineux,” there are several plot points that align with the bildungsroman genre. For example, Robin sets out from the country to seek his fortune in the city. Immediately, he is confronted with obstacles that he must overcome. In his pursuit of Molineux, he encounters unwelcoming city-dwellers (old man and innkeeper) and devilish figures (the horned man). He falls into a state of psychological despair but persists in his pursuit of Molineux. Ultimately, he is in a position to enter adulthood through independently pursuing success in the city.
Although this is a genre often associated with novels, the components of a bildungsroman are present in this short story. While Robin has not yet established himself in the city, by the end of the story we have seen him grow toward adulthood.
Related Titles
By Nathaniel Hawthorne
