This month I am participating in the A to Z blog challenge. http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

The challenge involves 26 posts in April, all somehow connected to the alphabet. My theme for the month is short stories. The Story Factory needs market research, of course, so I will be reading a short story for each letter of the alphabet and trying to learn some new techniques for my story writing. My lacks seem to be characterization and emotional experience, so I am mainly looking for stories to teach me those things. Feel free to make suggestions in the comments if you know of an amazing story. Another component of the challenge is the blog road trip, where we visit each other’s blogs, leave comments, etc. While I would like to visit a couple of blogs every day, it is more realistic to do Road Trips on Sundays. (Of course, my ongoing, 52 bad story challenge is still on, as well as the 2021 creative hours in 2021.

My Kinsman, Major Monlineux ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne.

“My Kinsman, Major Molineux” was written in 1831 and first published in 1832. It was later included in the 1852 edition of The Snow-Image, and Other Twice-Told Tales, the final short story collection of short stories that was published while Hawthorne was still living.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s young man, Robin, seeks his kinsman in a New England town. After giving his last currency to the ferryman, he walks to town, asking everyone he passes where his kinsman lives. Hawthorne is a master of characterization. The young man has high opinions of himself, and seems to think highly of the major as well. With each conversation with a townsman, we learn a bit more about Robin. He mentions several times that he would be violent with the unhelpful inhabitants, but did not wish to appear to be violent. His view of himself seems to grow as he pictures himself with his kinsman, who of course is a respected citizen of this town. Not like the man tarred and feathered in the cart passing by….oh wait.

Hawthorne deserves his reputation as a master.