Ambiguity and Myth in N. Hawthorne’s “Egotism; Or, The Bosom-Serpent”

Abstract

In the article Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story “Egotism; or, The Bosom-Serpent” (1843) is analysed through the lens of mythological criticism. Although this text has been the subject of considerable scholarly analysis, much of the focus has centered on its allegorical content and the central image of a man harboring a snake in his heart, symbolizing his hidden vice. The interpretation offered in this study is informed by an examination of Hawthorne’s narrative strategy and his use of artistic “ambiguity.” This approach allows for a reconsideration of character placement and plot dynamics, revealing the story as a distinct retelling of the Christian legend of St. George’s triumph over the serpent. In this context, Hawthorne “desacralizes” a fragment of the saint’s life by reducing it to a variant of the serpent-fighting mythologeme. This transformation can be viewed as one of the writer’s early endeavors, predating his work on two collections of mythological retellings for children in the 1850s (A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys and Tanglewood Tales for Boys and Girls), as well as his novels that similarly engage with mythological themes. The proposed reading of “The Bosom-Serpent ”contextualizes the story within a broader array of American Romantic texts, reflecting a shared ambition among their authors to explore mythology as a foundation for the creation of a distinctly American national literature.