The Toll Gatherer's Day (From "Twice Told Tales")

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was a towering figure in American literary history, renowned for his richly symbolic and psychological exploration of the complex themes of sin, guilt, and redemption. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Hawthorne was intimately connected with the Puritan legacy of his ancestors, which notably included a judge involved in the Salem witch trials— a historical shadow that g...