Project Gutenberg
2005-11-01
Public domain in the USA.
128
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
1804
1864
The Toll Gatherer's Day (From "Twice Told Tales")
Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twice-Told_Tales
Produced by David Widger
"The Toll Gatherer's Day (From 'Twice Told Tales')" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a contemplative sketch reflecting on the transitory nature of life, written in the early to mid-19th century. This piece can be classified as a short story that delves into the observations and meditations of a toll-gatherer as he witnesses the passing of travelers and the cycles of the day. The story captures the essence of human experience, highlighting both joy and sorrow in everyday encounters. In this narrative, the toll-gatherer serves as an observer to the ebb and flow of life around him. Through his experiences at the toll-house, he encounters a diverse array of characters, from joyful newlyweds to weary travelers, each representing various facets of society. The toll-gatherer reflects on the nature of existence as he witnesses the arrival and departure of different figures, musing on the transient joys and inevitable sorrows that life brings. The story artfully juxtaposes moments of happiness, such as the wedding party passing by, against the somber reality of loss and mortality, as seen in the fragile figure in a carriage. Ultimately, it encapsulates the idea that life is a continuous journey filled with myriad emotions, captured in a day at the toll-house. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Reading ease score: 64.1 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.
en
Short stories
New England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
Historical fiction, American
PS
Text
Children's Literature
Category: Short Stories
Category: American Literature
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