Hawthorne and the Mesmeric Arts

Abstract

Mesmerism has a deep influence on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literary creation. On the one hand, Hawthorne disapproves of mesmerism because he believes it is an intrusion of one’s personal psychology. On the other hand, Hawthorne is obsessed with the mesmeric arts in his literary works. Hawthorne not only designs the mesmerism plots in the romances to express his negative attitude towards mesmeric practice but also applies the mesmeric arts in order to guide the reader to gain the ultimate spiritual revelation.