Nathaniel Hawthorne's Wakefield: Identity, Vulnerability, and Marriage
Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Wakefield": A Literary Analysis
Wakefield's Crisis of Self-Confidence
Our first point addresses Wakefield’s lack of self-confidence. When Wakefield leaves his wife to observe how she endures her widowhood, he attempts to enforce determination. However, this action only underscores his fear of a loss of self. He expected that his wife would feel downcast, but it is he who feels that way instead, which makes him feel insecure. This vulnerability can be perceived when, for example, he reveals that he “does not want to sleep alone any longer”.
As time passes on, he constantly postpones returning to his previous life. He will wait until his wife is “frightened half to death”. Again, this demonstrates his lack of initiative and the desire for Mrs. Wakefield’s gaze, which suggests the loss of his individuality.
The Narrator, Surveillance, and Mrs. Wakefield's Self-Assertion
Wakefield even needs the help of a narrator to attract the reader’s attention to his person. This leads us to our second point: Mrs. Wakefield’s self-assertion in spite of a narration that reinforces her invisibility.
In the story, the narrator plays an active role in determining what the reader will "see". In this case, the narrator tries to compel us to make Wakefield the object of our surveillance, as is evidenced when he declares that “our business is with the husband”. This implies that, while Wakefield's condition as a masculine subject rests in the gaze of others, Mrs. Wakefield does not need others’ expectation to have an identity.
This dynamic may explain why, for some critics, “Hawthorne turns a penetrating and anxious eye on what marriage means.” Mrs. Wakefield’s independence relies on the fact that Wakefield seems to have no identity, no place in the world if it is not within his marriage.
Conclusion: The Complexities of an Ordinary Marriage
As a final comment, "Wakefield" may seem like the story about an apparently common man in the course of a seemingly ordinary marriage, but in fact, it is rather complex. The reader discovers a vulnerable male character who depends on his self-reliant wife to have an identity.
As we approach the end of this presentation, I would like to reiterate that in the introduction of the story, the reader is challenged by the narrator to generate their own interpretations. This presentation has offered my interpretation, and I hope that you found it interesting or enriching somehow.
Questions and Discussion
Thank you very much for listening. Now, as I mentioned, I will answer your questions if you have any.