What Makes “The Haunted Mind” by Nathaniel Hawthorne Great?
Learn how Hawthorne uses metaphors to create emotional depth, uses imagery to immerse readers, and tone to enhance the theme to write an engaging story about how our thoughts can haunt our memories.
Photo by Anton Sobotyak on Unsplash
I’m going to take a wild guess and say that when you first saw the name Nathaniel Hawthorne you thought of those crappy high school essays about The Scarlet Letter, or maybe you remember slogging through a horrible lesson of “The Minister’s Black Veil.” Ah, how high school English does a fantabulous job utterly sucking the marrow of life from great works.
Well, you’re in for a doozy of a treat because I’m going to attempt to make a weird, obscure, ridiculously difficult to read meditative short story called “The Haunted Mind” seem fun, cool, and a great model to write some cool shit.
Wish me luck!
As always, before reading on I suggest you take a few minutes to read the story. In fact, with this one you probably want to read it and re-read it a few times to figure out what the hell is going on. HERE is a link to a PDF of the story.
Summary of “The Haunted Mind”
Published in 1835, “The Haunted Mind” thrusts readers from the first sentence of the story into the surreal moments between sleep and being awake, capturing the fragmented, absurd musings of a narrator suspended in this liminal space. (I can confirm there was no use of opioids or other stimulants while reading this story and writing about it.)
The story explores the connection between memory and the subconscious and the susceptibility of the human spirit to the burdensome weight of regret.
Hawthorne’s densely layered prose, rich imagery, and meditative tone help to create an inner monologue spoken by an unnamed character that feels strangely personal and eerily universal.
Let’s get to the nitty-gritty
Hawthorne’s story investigates the amorphous boundary between the physical world and the mind, showing how our thoughts can be as haunting as our reality. Hawthorne fashions a inner monologue that invites (or forces?) readers to consider the intersections of fear, memory, and imagination.
For readers and writers, Hawthorne’s story is a treasure trove of techniques worth studying. Below are three questions I’m using to guide my analysis.
How does Hawthorne use metaphor to create an emotional experience for the reader?
How does Hawthorne use imagery to immerse readers in the story’s mood?
How does Hawthorne use a reflective and meditative tone to illuminate the story’s themes?
If you’ve read my previous What Makes This Short Story Great? on Chekhov’s “A Country Cottage,” then you know I LOVE charts. I’m an educator and former high school English teacher (not the kind that butchered teaching Hawthorne). There’s nothing that organizes my thoughts better than a good ol’ fashioned three-column chart.
How does Hawthorne use metaphor to create an emotional experience for the reader?
Metaphor is a cornerstone of Hawthorne’s writing in “The Haunted Mind.” Through comparisons that illuminate abstract ideas, he creates sentences that are both beautiful and thought-provoking.
And be gracious with yourself. Hawthorne’s writing is a bit denser than you might think. His use of metaphors isn’t as overt as you might be used to in other other works.
Take your time while reading.
A few ideas to consider:
Blending physical and emotional worlds: Hawthorne’s metaphors often use tangible item (e.g., snow, bells) with intangible concepts (e.g., memory, remorse) that create layered imagery that resonates emotionally.
Personification of abstract ideas: By giving emotions and states of being human-like qualities, Hawthorne makes them relatable and vivid. His interesting use of personification intensifies the reader’s connection to the narrator’s experience.
Existential undertones: Many metaphors hint at mortality, the passage of time, and the haunting nature of memory and reinforces the story’s themes of deep introspection and the fragility of human life.
These metaphors are not mere flourishes of language; they serve the story’s theme. By blending the external world with the inner mind, Hawthorne shows how thoughts and emotions take on a life of their own in moments of stillness. The metaphors deepen the narrative’s reflective tone, urging readers to consider their own “haunted” moments.
For writers, studying Hawthorne’s use of metaphor reveals how abstract ideas—like memory, remorse, or fear—can be grounded in vivid, tangible objects and imagery to evoke emotion and illuminate the story’s themes and ideas.
How does Hawthorne use imagery to immerse readers in the story’s mood?
Imagery is another defining feature of “The Haunted Mind.” Hawthorne crafts vivid descriptions that appeal to all the senses and immerses readers in the story’s dream-like setting.
A few ideas to consider:
Sensory details: Hawthorne uses vivid visuals, sounds, and tactile details to create a multi-sensory experience for the reader. This makes the setting feel alive.
Personification and symbolism: Natural elements like snow and wind are imbued with human and even spiritual qualities. Readers are drawn into a world where the boundaries between the physical and metaphysical disappear. It reminds me a TON of Donne.
Atmospheric balance: The imagery alternates between eerie, ghostly descriptions and serene, almost enchanting visuals. Readers are engaged in the interplay between beauty and dread.
Hawthorne’s use of imagery serves the story’s meditative tone. The detailed descriptions create a physical sense of place while reflecting the narrator’s contemplation. The quiet, “frost-covered” world mirrors the stillness of the mind, while the “voice of iron” hints at the passage of time. The sensory experience is tied to the story’s themes of mortality and memory.
Writers can use imagery like Hawthorne’s to build atmosphere and immerse readers in a world that feels alive.
How does Hawthorne use a reflective and meditative tone to illuminate the story’s themes?
Hawthorne’s reflective tone is perhaps the most effective element of “The Haunted Mind.” The narrator’s voice is meditative, moving effortlessly, almost ethereally, between calm observation and moments of existential dread.
A few ideas to consider:
Memory as a haunting presence – Hawthorne’s melancholic and somber tone shows memory as both unavoidable and a source of reflection. The narrator illustrates how past experiences linger like ghosts in the mind.
• The inevitability of mortality – Through a philosophical and eerie tone, the narrator urges us to confront the fleeting nature of life. The imagery of funeral trains and buried regrets reinforces the idea that time moves forward regardless of human desires.
• The emotional weight of reflection – The haunting and lyrical aspects of the story immerse the reader in a dreamlike meditation on loss, regret, and the passage of time. Hawthorne’s shifting tone, from poetic to horror, mirrors the unpredictable nature of the mind.
The various uses of tone in “The Haunted Mind” pulls readers into the narrator’s fragmented thoughts, creating a strange sense of intimacy. It also reflects the story’s themes and ideas: the interplay between the conscious and subconscious mind.
For writers, studying tone in “The Haunted Mind” shows how a consistent narrative voice can unify disparate, almost unrelated, ideas and emotions, guiding readers through complex themes with clarity and elegance.
Your Turn: Readers & Writers Workshop
Hawthorne’s “The Haunted Mind” is a masterclass in craft. By studying and practicing his use of metaphor, imagery, and tone, writers can enhance their own stories while readers gain a deeper appreciation for his writing.
Tool for Readers: Tone Observation Log
Goal: To help readers recognize and understand tonal shifts in a story and how those shifts add complexity.
How It Works:
Select another short story by Hawthorne or re-read “The Haunted Mind” and use the following strategy while reading.
Create a four-column chart (like the example below).
Identify sections or passages in the story where the tone is noticeable.
Identify key words or phrases in the selected text.
How does the tone make the reader feel or what does it add to the story?
Does the tone change? If so, how?
Sample Four Column Chart:
Example Application: Below is a sample completed chart using the first paragraph of “The Haunted Mind.”
How the Tool Helps Readers:
Improves awareness of tone: Encourages readers to actively identify and label tones in specific sections, pushing the reader to use their interpretive skills.
Highlights emotional impact: Provides space to analyze how tone affects mood, atmosphere, and reader experience/reactions/emotions.
Tracks shifts: Identifies when and why tonal shifts occur, helping readers connect tone changes to broader narrative or thematic elements. Repetition and variation is key.
Encourages close reading: Focuses readers’ attention on textual evidence, making them better interpreters of literary techniques. And demands readers to slow down, react and think about what they are reading and how it was constructed.
Tool for Writers: Imagery Evaluation Chart
Goal: To help writers analyze and refine imagery in their own work by evaluating sensory details, emotional impact, and thematic depth.
How It Works:
Create a chart like the sample below (sorry, I’m a teacher…I love charts).
Select 3-5 passages from your draft that rely on imagery.
Analyze the sensory details and their emotional effect.
Determine if the imagery enhances the story’s themes or characters.
Decide if revisions are needed—is the imagery too vague? Could it be more immersive?
Revise accordingly by strengthening details or clarifying intent.
Sample Chart for This Tool:
Example Application: Below is a sample completed chart using the first paragraph of “The Haunted Mind.” (Yes, yes, I know Hawthorne’s text is perfect, but suspend your devotion for just a few minutes while I make my point clear.)
How the Tool Helps Readers:
Identifies weak or underdeveloped imagery
By completing the sensory details column, writers can see if their imagery is engaging and evocative or vague and forgettable.
If a passage lacks sensory details and there is little engagement, they can revise by adding details from other senses (e.g., adding sound or touch to a primarily visual description).
Ensures imagery aligns with the mood and emotion of the scene/story
The mood/emotion column forces writers to articulate the intended effect of their descriptions, to feel their way through the writing. Remember, no tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.
If a passage creates an unintended mood, it signals a need for revision.
Strengthens theme and character depth
The theme/character column prompts writers to check if their imagery serves the story’s larger purpose. Everything serves the story’s larger purpose.
If imagery feels disconnected from the theme or character development, they can revise to make it more meaningful or show how a character changes.
Shows opportunities for sharper, more meaningful and intentional language
Writers can evaluate if their descriptions are fresh and original or if they rely on clichés.
The last column allows the writer to pinpoint where their imagery needs fine-tuning or a complete revision.
Writing Prompt to Practice Metaphors, Imagery, and Tone
Tuck yourself under the covers and whisk yourself away to the meditative land of Hawthorne. After reading and studying “The Haunted Mind,” write a short, short scene using the same devices as Hawthorne.
Think about your favorite character from a book, TV show, movie, etc. and imagine they’re having a sleepless night, a night when the boundary between reality and dreams blur. Your character reflects on a powerful memory that holds deep emotional weight—something that has shaped who they are. As they lie in bed, their mind conjures vivid images, metaphors, and feelings tied to this memory, blending and mixing the real and the surreal.
Write a story of 1,000 words or less where your character’s reflections reveal a central theme, such as mortality, love, loss, or self-discovery.
Include the following devices in your story.
Metaphor: Use at least one metaphor to express your character’s emotional state.
Imagery: Use imagery that immerses the reader in the atmosphere of the scene. Include sensory details of the setting—sounds, smells, textures.
Tone: Use a reflective tone throughout the story to evoke introspection and differing emotions.
Twist: End the story with a moment of clarity—a decision, realization, or shift in perspective—that echoes the theme(s) explored throughout the reflection.I created a Google Doc of the prompt for you to use as you wish, click HERE. Make sure to make a copy.
Final Thoughts
I’ve been a fan of Hawthorne from afar for a long time. The American romantic of darkness, Hawthorne seemed less approachable than someone like Poe.
And I have to admit that when I first read “The Haunted Mind” the first thought that entered my mind was, “why the HELL did I pick this story to analyze?” I read, and re-read, the story at least a handful of times that first night I read it.
But as I dug into it and really looked at the language and how Hawthorne crafted the story, I not only felt at ease with his style but the story started to linger in my head for some time after.
If you’ve never read Hawthorne except for an AP English Lit class, then I hope this story and this post brought you an unexpected surprise. It’s a story that reminds us to confront our fears, embrace the unknown, and accept that the only certainty in life is uncertainty.
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To give aspiring writers the tools and techniques to build their confidence, find their voice, and write damn good stories.