Project Gutenberg 2005-11-01 Public domain in the USA. 110 Hawthorne, Nathaniel 1804 1864 Main Street (From: "The Snow Image and Other Twice-Told Tales") David Widger "Main Street" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a thought-provoking narrative that combines elements of historical fiction and social commentary, most likely written during the early 19th century. This work explores themes surrounding the transformation of a town from its primitive origins to a bustling center of Puritan life and the implications of such progress on the community and its inhabitants. The novel reflects on the passage of time, societal change, and the tension between tradition and innovation. The story unfolds through a creative presentation that resembles a puppet show, where the main character, a showman, guides the audience through the historical development of a New England town known as Naumkeag. As the scenes shift from a primeval forest inhabited by Native Americans to the arrival of early settlers, readers encounter various characters, including Roger Conant—one of the first settlers, and later prominent figures such as Governor Endicott. Hawthorne captures the struggles and evolution of the community, illustrating the clash between Puritanism and new ideas represented by the Quakers and other dissenters. The narrative critically examines the darker aspects of this transformation, including religious intolerance and the persecution of those who diverge from the established moral code, ultimately calling into question the cost of progress and the legacy of such rigid societal structures. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 60.0 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Short stories New England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction Historical fiction, American PS Text Category: Historical Novels Category: Novels Category: American Literature 92522 2025-07-04T08:15:40.722205 text/html 93057 2022-05-18T13:48:18 text/html 104444 2025-07-04T08:15:44.462170 application/epub+zip 103307 2025-07-04T08:15:42.286184 application/epub+zip 103307 2025-07-04T08:15:41.283176 application/epub+zip 208953 2025-07-04T08:15:46.121170 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 201979 2025-07-04T08:15:43.864153 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 185127 2022-09-05T03:34:18.758335 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 86027 2025-07-04T08:15:40.484191 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 85807 2022-05-18T13:48:31 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19374 2025-07-04T08:15:46.240143 application/rdf+xml 13695 2025-07-04T08:15:41.756168 image/jpeg 3708 2025-07-04T08:15:41.518180 image/jpeg 34712 2022-05-18T13:49:25 application/octet-stream application/zip 36182 2022-05-18T13:50:28 application/octet-stream application/zip 103926 2025-07-04T08:15:40.731186 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia