My Kinsman, Major Molineux Themes

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “My Kinsman, Major Molineux” was written in 1831, but set 100 years earlier, during the long run-up to the American Revolutionary War, when colonial Massachusetts was actively opposed to the governors appointed by King James II. This is the state of affairs when the story’s innocent, country-bred protagonist, Robin, obtains passage to Massachusetts Bay and searches for his cousin and benefactor, Major Molineux, who has “inherited riches, and acquired civil and…

“My Kinsman, Major Molineux” begins with a lengthy description of “colonial affairs,” as pre-Revolutionary America is growing increasingly hostile to English rule. Already, six royally-appointed governors have been either overthrown or imprisoned by their constituency. The sense of civilization at the brink of anarchy pervades the story, culminating in the tar and feathering of the titular Major Molineux. The old authorities are at the mercy of a rowdy colony that has taken to dressing…