(1841) builds on and is a continuation of Hawthorne’s first two children’s books,

and

.

consists of a Preface, eleven chapters, and five formally titled stories. The Preface invitingly begins, “Has the youthful reader grown weary of Grandfather’s stories about his Chair? Will he not come, this once more, to our fireside, and be received as an own grandchild, and as brother, sister, or cousin to Laurence, Clara, Charley, and little Alice?” (143). The Preface then summarizes various incidents of the American Revolutionary period to come, reminding readers that in all the stories

on its sturdy oaken legs, [Grandfather’s Chair] trudges diligently from one scene to another, and seems always to thrust itself in the way,

2679 words

Citation: Laffrado, Laura. "Liberty Tree". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 August 2011; last revised 08 October 2018. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=33487, accessed 24 November 2024.]

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