Critics noted a strong connection between the fictional story and the events in Hawthorne’s real life, even though in the preface Hawthorne insists that any such similarities are coincidental and don’t reflect real persons or events.
This is one of several “romances” written by Hawthorne, in which he allows more room for imagination and examination of the human heart. There is a sharp contrast between Puritan practicality and morals, and Coverdale’s dreamlike narration.
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