The Great Carbuncle

The Great Carbuncle

"The Great Carbuncle" is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It first appeared in "Twice-Told Tales", a collection of short stories, in 1837.

Plot synopsis

In the White Mountains, a band of eight adventurers gathers together. They are each on a personal quest for the Great Carbuncle, a brilliant gem legendary in its elusiveness. The adventurers are as follows:

*The Seeker: a man sixty years of age who has sought the Great Carbuncle nearly his entire life. He says when he finds the Carbuncle he will die alongside it.
*Doctor Cacophodel: a chemist. He hopes to perform many tests on the Carbuncle and make many copies of it.
*Master Ichabod Pigsnort: a merchant, who wishes to sell the Carbuncle to the highest bidder.
*The Cynic: a bespectacled man with a constant sneer. He considers the hopes of the other adventurers futile. He seeks the Carbuncle to prove to everyone that it doesn't exist.
*The Poet: He hopes the Carbuncle will bring him inspiration.
*Lord de Vere: a wealthy prince, who would use the Carbuncle's brilliance as a symbol of his family's greatness for posterity.
*Matthew and Hannah: newlyweds, who wish to use the gem as a light in their household and as a conversation piece.

The next morning, Matthew and Hannah wake up realizing that the others have left before them. Even though they fear they have lost the Carbuncle, they take their time in preparing for their morning's adventure.

They begin to climb a great mountain. They soon fear they will be lost, until they spy a great red brilliance. They realize it is the Carbuncle. Beneath the Carbuncle, they see the figure of the Seeker, who has died trying to reach the gem. The Cynic approaches them and claims that he cannot see the Carbuncle. He removes his glasses and is immediately blinded by the gem's brilliance. Matthew and Hannah decide the gem is too brilliant for their household, and they leave it where it lies.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • The Minister's Black Veil — The children fled from his approach , illustration by Elenore Abbott, 1900 The Minister s Black Veil is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was first published in the 1836 edition of The Token and Atlantic Souvenir, edited by Samuel… …   Wikipedia

  • The Maypole of Merry Mount — is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It first appeared in Twice Told Tales, a collection of short stories, in 1837. Plot synopsis The people of Merrymount, whom Hawthorne calls the crew of Comus, celebrate the marriage of a youth and a maiden …   Wikipedia

  • The House of the Seven Gables — For other uses, see The House of the Seven Gables (disambiguation). The House of the Seven Gables   …   Wikipedia

  • The Strand Magazine — La reliure du Strand pour l année 1894 The Strand Magazine est un mensuel anglais de nouvelles romanesques et d articles de presse généralistes fondé par Georges Newnes et publié de janvier 1891 à mars 1950 à raison de 711 numéros. C est la… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • carbuncle — [13] Etymologically, a carbuncle is a ‘small piece of coal’. It comes ultimately from Latin carbunculus, a diminutive form of carbō ‘coal’ (source of English carbon). This reached English via Old French carbuncle. The Latin word had two main… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • carbuncle — [13] Etymologically, a carbuncle is a ‘small piece of coal’. It comes ultimately from Latin carbunculus, a diminutive form of carbō ‘coal’ (source of English carbon). This reached English via Old French carbuncle. The Latin word had two main… …   Word origins

  • Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century — Infobox TV ratings show name = Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century usa tv = TV Y7 (sometimes TV Y) gb tv = can tv = jp tv = dt tv = aus tv = nz tv = Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century is a 26 episode animated television series placing Sherlock… …   Wikipedia

  • Precious Stones in the Bible —     Precious Stones in the Bible     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Precious Stones in the Bible     Precious stones are stones remarkable for their colour, brilliancy, or rarity. Such stones have at all times been held in high esteem everywhere,… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • White Mountains (New Hampshire) — The White Mountains are a mountain range that covers about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New… …   Wikipedia

  • Хэллоуин — У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Хэллоуин (значения). Хэллоуин Праздничный постамент в …   Википедия

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”