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What did Nathaniel Hawthorne study and practice after graduating from Bowdoin College?
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Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne's ancestors in Salem, Massachusetts, were Puritans named Hathorne. He added a w to his name when he began writing.
After graduating from Bowdoin College in 1825, Nathaniel Hawthorne returned to Salem and spent nearly a dozen years dedicated to reading and mastering the art of writing fiction.1
Having excelled in composition during his college years, he initially wrote and self-published a novel titled Fanshawe, though he later attempted to destroy all copies of the work, deeming it unworthy. Over the following years, he focused on developing his own voice and style, successfully publishing several notable short stories, including "My Kinsman, Major Molineux," "Roger Malvinās Burial," and "Young Goodman Brown."2