My Kinsman, Major Molineux

My Kinsman, Major Molineux

A young man named Robin, barely eighteen and country-bred, arrives in a colonial town seeking his wealthy kinsman, Major Molineux. He is optimistic about his visit, having been encouraged by his family to pursue opportunities with the Major, who had previously shown interest in him. However, upon arriving, Robin finds himself lost and unable to locate his relative's home. As he wanders the streets, he encounters various townsfolk, including an angry old man, a courteous innkeeper, and a mysterious figure with a dual-colored face who cryptically advises him to wait for the Major. Despite his efforts, Robin is met with ridicule and hostility, as the townspeople seem to mock his rural appearance and naivety. His search leads him to a tavern where he is further humiliated, and he begins to feel the weight of his isolation and hunger. He meets a woman who claims to know the Major's whereabouts but ultimately does not help him. As the night progresses, Robin's frustration grows, and he contemplates the possibility that he may never find his kinsman. Eventually, Robin is directed to wait outside a church, where he encounters a kind stranger who engages him in conversation. The stranger expresses curiosity about Robin's situation and assures him that the Major will soon pass by. As they wait, a commotion arises in the town, drawing the attention of both men. A procession of revelers, led by a horseman, approaches, and Robin is shocked to see Major Molineux at the center of the spectacle, publicly humiliated and ridiculed by the crowd. The Major's once-proud demeanor is shattered, and Robin is struck by the contrast between his expectations and the reality of his kinsman's situation. In a moment of surreal clarity, Robin realizes the absurdity of the scene and joins in the laughter of the crowd, despite the pain it causes him. The night culminates in a chaotic celebration, leaving Robin to reflect on the harsh realities of life in the town and the disillusionment of his expectations. Ultimately, Robin decides he no longer wishes to remain in the town, feeling that he has lost the opportunity he sought. The story concludes with the stranger offering to help him in the future, suggesting that Robin may find his own way to succeed without relying on the Major.

By Nathaniel Hawthorne · First published 1832 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Satire · 8,833 words

First lines

After the kings of Great Britain had assumed the right of appointing the colonial governors, the measures of the latter seldom met with the ready and generous approbation which had been paid to those of their predecessors, under the original charters. The people looked with most jealous scrutiny to the exercise of power which did not emanate from themselves, and they usually rewarded their rulers with slender gratitude for the compliances by which, in softening their instructions from beyond the sea, they had incurred the reprehension of those who gave them. The annals of Massachusetts Bay will inform us, that of six governors in the space of about forty years from the surrender of the old charter, under James II, two were imprisoned by a popular insurrection; a third, as Hutchinson inclines to believe, was driven from the province by the whizzing of a musket-ball; a fourth, in the opinion of the same historian, was hastened to his grave by continual bickerings with the House of Representatives; and the remaining two, as well as their successors, till the Revolution, were favored with few and brief intervals of peaceful sway. The inferior members of the court party, in times of high political excitement, led scarcely a more desirable life. These remarks may serve as a preface to the following adventures, which chanced upon a summer night, not far from a hundred years ago. The reader, in order to avoid a long and dry detail of colonial affairs, is requested to dispense with an account of the train of circumstances that had caused much temporary inflammation of the popular mind.

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My Kinsman, Major Molineux is listed on Textopian as a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, dated 1832 CE.

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American Literature · Colonialism · Coming of Age · Family Dynamics · Historical Fiction · Identity Crisis · Moral Ambiguity · Narrative Structure · New England · Patriotism · Satire · Social Commentary

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