Marble Faun Plot

Like the satyrs of greek legend donatello has a carefree nature.

Marble faun plot. The fact that all characters are somewhat connected to the art world can be seen as a plot device to allow the metaphors of art and human psyche to flow more naturally. The marble statue of a faun becomes a central element and metaphor for the character of donatello. The marble faun written on the eve of the american civil war is set in a fantastical italy the romance mixes elements of a fable pastoral gothic novel and travel guide. An exploration of nature versus artifice good versus evil old world dogma versus new world morality roman catholicism versus new england puritanism.

The fragility and the durability of human life and art dominate this story of american expatriates in italy in the mid nineteenth century. The marble faun is a gothic romance concerning three young americans and one young italian count who meet in rome. Or the romance of monte beni also known by the british title transformation was the last of the four major romances by nathaniel hawthorne and was published in 1860. On the surface the plot of the marble faun can be viewed simplistically.

Befriended by donatello a young italian with the classical grace of the marble faun miriam hilda and kenyon find their pursuit of art taking a sinister turn as miriam s unhappy past precipitates the present into tragedy. The marble faun was an exhausting read as emblematic perhaps as the weighty themes within the novel itself. American painter miriam moves to italy to mingle with other expat artists but experiences a life changing event. Or the romance of monte beni is a novel by british author nathaniel hawthorne published in 1860.

In the faun s fusing of animal and human characteristics hawthorne found an. The book features picturesque descriptions of historic art and architecture in rome as a backdrop to a tale of mystery murder and romance. In the novel the marble faun 1860 by the american author nathaniel hawthorne the italian count donatello is described as bearing a remarkable resemblance to one of praxiteles s marble satyr statues. The novel s central metaphor is a statue of a faun by praxiteles that hawthorne had seen in rome.

The novel is set in italy and focuses on four main characters.