Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from Twice-Told Tales, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
THE GRAY CHAMPION
There was once a time when New England groaned under the actual
pressure of heavier wrongs than those threatened ones which
brought on the Revolution. James II, the bigoted successor of
Charles the Voluptuous, had annulled the charters of all the
colonies, and sent a harsh and unprincipled soldier to take away
our liberties and endanger our religion. The administration of
Sir Edmund Andros lacked scarcely a single characteristic of
tyranny: a Governor and Council, holding office from the King,
and wholly independent of the country; laws made and taxes levied
without concurrence of the people immediate or by their
representatives; the rights of private citizens violated, and the
titles of all landed property declared void; the voice of
complaint stifled by restrictions on the press; and, finally,
disaffection overawed by the first band of mercenary troops that
ever marched on our free soil. For two years our ancestors were
kept in sullen submission by that filial love which had
invariably secured their allegiance to the mother country,
whether its head chanced to be a Parliament, Protector, or Popish
Monarch. Till these evil times, however, such allegiance had been
merely nominal, and the colonists had ruled themselves, enjoying
far more freedom than is even yet the privilege of the native
subjects of Great Britain.
At length a rumor reached our shores that the Prince of Orange
had ventured on an enterprise, the success of which would be the
triumph of civil and religious rights and the salvation of New
England. It was but a doubtful whisper: it might be false, or the
attempt might fail; and, in either case, the man that stirred
against King James would lose his head. Still the intelligence
produced a marked effect. The people smiled mysteriously in the
streets, and threw bold glances at their oppressors; while far
and wide there was a subdued and silent agitation, as if the
slightest signal would rouse the whole land from its sluggish
despondency. Aware of their danger, the rulers resolved to avert
it by an imposing display of strength, and perhaps to confirm
their despotism by yet harsher measures. One afternoon in April,
1689, Sir Edmund Andros and his favorite councillors, being warm
with wine, assembled the red-coats of the Governor's Guard, and
made their appearance in the streets of Boston. The sun was near
setting when the march commenced.
Explanation
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s "The Gray Champion" (1832) is a short story from his collection Twice-Told Tales, a work that blends historical fiction with allegory to explore themes of resistance, liberty, and the supernatural intervention in human affairs. The excerpt provided sets the stage for a pivotal moment in colonial American history—the overthrow of the tyrannical Governor Sir Edmund Andros in 1689—while infusing it with Hawthorne’s signature ambiguity, symbolism, and moral complexity. Below is a detailed breakdown of the passage, focusing on its historical context, themes, literary devices, and significance within the text itself.
1. Historical and Political Context
The story is rooted in the Glorious Revolution (1688–1689), a bloodless coup in England that deposed the Catholic King James II in favor of the Protestant William of Orange (the "Prince of Orange" mentioned). In the American colonies, James II had revoked the colonial charters (including Massachusetts’) and installed Sir Edmund Andros as the authoritarian governor of the Dominion of New England (1686–1689). Andros’s rule was marked by:
- Suppression of colonial self-governance (no elected assemblies).
- Heavy taxes and land seizures (declaring titles "void").
- Censorship (restrictions on the press).
- Military intimidation (mercenary troops on "free soil").
The colonists, though initially passive due to loyalty to England, grew restless as rumors spread of William of Orange’s invasion. The excerpt captures this tense pre-revolutionary moment, just before Andros’s downfall (which historically occurred in April 1689 when Bostonians, emboldened by news of James II’s deposition, arrested him).
Hawthorne’s story, however, is not a strict historical account but a mythic retelling, introducing a supernatural figure—the "Gray Champion"—to symbolize the spirit of resistance.
2. Themes in the Excerpt
A. Tyranny vs. Liberty
The passage vividly contrasts oppression and defiance:
- Andros’s tyranny is cataloged in a litany of abuses: illegal taxes, voided land titles, press censorship, and military occupation. The phrase "scarcely a single characteristic of tyranny" was lacking is ironic—Andros embodies all of them.
- Colonial resistance is subtler but palpable: the people’s "mysterious smiles" and "bold glances" suggest hidden rebellion, while the "subdued and silent agitation" foreshadows imminent uprising. The imagery of a land "sluggish" but ready to "rouse" evokes a dormant force (like a sleeping giant).
B. Loyalty and Betrayal
The colonists’ "filial love" for England (comparing the mother country to a parent) is strained. Hawthorne notes that their allegiance was previously "nominal"—a facade masking their de facto independence. Now, with James II’s tyranny, that loyalty is tested. The rumor of William of Orange’s revolt becomes a catalyst for disillusionment.
C. The Power of Rumor and Hope
The "doubtful whisper" about the Prince of Orange is a turning point. Though unverified, it electrifies the populace, showing how ideas and hope can spark revolution. The rulers’ attempt to "avert [danger] by an imposing display of strength" (the military march) backfires—it only highlights their fragility.
D. Fate and Divine Intervention
Hawthorne hints at a higher force at work. The Gray Champion (who appears later in the story) is a spectral figure who embodies the will of Providence or the collective unconscious of the people. The excerpt’s ominous tone ("the sun was near setting"—symbolizing the end of an era) suggests that tyranny’s days are numbered, not by human hands alone but by destiny.
3. Literary Devices
A. Cataloging (Accumulation)
Hawthorne lists Andros’s abuses in a relentless, rhythmic enumeration:
"a Governor and Council... laws made and taxes levied... rights of private citizens violated... titles of all landed property declared void... voice of complaint stifled... disaffection overawed by mercenary troops."
This piling on of grievances creates a sense of overwhelming oppression, mirroring the colonists’ suffocation. The lack of conjunctions ("asyndeton") speeds up the prose, making it feel urgent and inexorable.
B. Irony
- Situational Irony: Andros’s "display of strength" (the military march) is meant to intimidate, but it instead exposes his weakness—the people are already primed to revolt.
- Dramatic Irony: The reader (and Hawthorne’s contemporary audience) knows that Andros’s rule will soon collapse, but the characters in the story (Andros, his councillors) are oblivious, "warm with wine" and overconfident.
C. Symbolism
- The Setting Sun: The march begins as "the sun was near setting", symbolizing the decline of Andros’s power and the dawn of liberty.
- Mercenary Troops on "Free Soil": The phrase underscores the violation of colonial ideals—foreign soldiers trampling on land that prides itself on freedom.
- Wine and Drunkenness: Andros and his councillors are "warm with wine", suggesting moral and political intoxication—their judgment is impaired, and they underestimate the people’s resolve.
D. Foreshadowing
- The "subdued and silent agitation" hints at the imminent explosion of rebellion.
- The "slightest signal" that could rouse the land foreshadows the Gray Champion’s appearance—a supernatural signal for revolt.
E. Personification
- New England "groaned" under wrongs—giving the land human suffering.
- The people’s "sluggish despondency" suggests a sleeping beast about to awaken.
4. Significance of the Passage
A. Historical Allegory
Hawthorne uses the 1689 revolt as an allegory for all struggles against tyranny, including the American Revolution (which he references in the first line). The story suggests that resistance is an eternal, almost supernatural force—embodied later by the Gray Champion, a ghostly Puritan who vanishes after inspiring the crowd.
B. The Role of the Supernatural
The excerpt doesn’t introduce the Gray Champion yet, but it sets up the need for him. The people are on the brink of revolt, but they lack a symbol or leader. The Champion will appear as a manifestation of their collective will, blurring the line between history and myth.
C. Hawthorne’s Ambivalence
Hawthorne, descended from Puritans (including a judge in the Salem witch trials), often explored moral ambiguity. Here, he doesn’t glorify rebellion outright—he shows it as a necessary but dangerous force. The Gray Champion is both heroic and eerie, suggesting that liberty may require supernatural or violent intervention.
D. Connection to Hawthorne’s Broader Themes
- The Past’s Haunting Presence: The Gray Champion is a ghost from New England’s Puritan past, implying that history is never truly dead—it resurfaces in moments of crisis.
- The Burden of Legacy: The colonists’ "filial love" for England is a conflicted inheritance, much like Hawthorne’s own relationship with his Puritan ancestors (a theme in The Scarlet Letter and Young Goodman Brown).
5. Conclusion: The Excerpt’s Immediate Impact
This passage establishes the stakes:
- Political: A tyrannical regime vs. an oppressed but awakening people.
- Moral: The tension between loyalty and rebellion, order and chaos.
- Supernatural: The hint that human events are guided by unseen forces.
When the Gray Champion appears in the next section—an old, armored Puritan who materializes to defy Andros and vanish—he becomes the embodiment of the resistance foreshadowed here. The excerpt’s dark, charged atmosphere makes his arrival feel inevitable and mythic, reinforcing Hawthorne’s idea that liberty is not just won by men, but by the ghosts of history itself.
Final Thought
Hawthorne’s genius lies in turning a historical footnote (Andros’s overthrow) into a timeless fable about oppression and defiance. The Gray Champion is less a real figure than a symbol of the revolutionary spirit—one that emerges when tyranny becomes unbearable. The excerpt’s power comes from its buildup of tension, making the supernatural intervention feel earned and necessary, a reminder that justice sometimes requires more than human hands.