The Great Stone Face- I Summary

The Great Stone Face - I is present in the English Course Book of Standard 8. It is the story of the experiences and quest that makes an effort to discover someone corresponding to the Great Stone Face-I. The chapter is significant and is generally asked in the exam. Therefore, it makes it crucial for the student to study this chapter carefully, which will help them in the exam. The summary is concise, crisp, and to the point, which would help them to form an in-depth and critical understanding of the topic.

The Great Stone Face - Part 1 Summary

The Great Stone Face is a fascinating story penned by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It has been comprised of two parts. In this article, discussion of the topic will be limited to just Part- I. Part- I of the story moves around the youth, namely Ernest, and his love for the hilltops and mountains that seem to be covered under various shapes. When Ernest was in his childhood, his mother would narrate the story of the Great Stone Face in the valley seen from his lodge. The Great Stone Face was the topic of discussion for the people living in the valley. Ernest heard a lot about the Great Stone Face from his neighborhood. The Great Stone Face is a local mountainside that comprises large rocks and hilltops corresponding to the characteristics of a human being's face from a length. It is genuine and magnificent, a construct of nature.

Ernest always believed that the Great Stone Face was gazing at him with a radiant look. His mother had told him a native legend corresponding to the look of the massive mountain would arrive in the valley someday. The legend would be of the valley's noble character and most incredible person. This gave new incentive to the Ernest intrigues. He would spend most of his time observing the mountain and repeating the thoughts he had heard from his mother. As a toddler, he was joyful and caring and grew up to be a sedate and introverted man. He hadn't a teacher in his childhood, and The Great Stone Face played the role of a teacher who would give him a sense of encouragement and a smile of generosity.

Once upon a time, a personality named Gathergold exited from the valley to develop good fortune for himself. Speculation spread in the valley that this individual corresponds to the Great Stone Face-I. When he returned to the valley as a wealthy man, Ernest deeply desired to meet this charismatic personality. However, upon seeing the individual wrinkled, unpleasant, and shrewd face, Ernest was sad, disheartened, and moved away, observing sadly at the Great Stone Face in the valley. He sensed that the Great Stone Face conveyed that a genuine look-alike face would surely arrive someday, corresponding to a massive face.

Besides, a man from the valley had become a member of the army. He was a popular commander and smart on the battlefield, known for the Blood-and-Thunder. When he became old and exhausted, he returned to his native place. The resident of the valley treated him with utmost honor and respect. Most of the residents had a sense that his face corresponded to the Great Stone Face. However, Ernest observed the General's Face; he could not identify it and was unsatisfied with the resident's views. He firmly believed that men corresponding to the look of the giant mountain face were yet to arrive in the valley. He felt the Great Stone's face whisper into his ear that the man corresponding to him would arrive soon. Ernest completely concurs with the mountain's view and waits for the legendary man to arrive in the valley.

About the Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne

He was born on 4 July 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. Hawthorne was an American romance novelist and short story writer who explored broad areas of genre and styles. When he started with novels, he was attracted to a search for material in the careers of his early ancestors and the past of Colonial New England. He attended Bowdoin College and started writing short stories, romances, or both while in college.

The author is well-known for their short stories, including The House of Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne collaborated with Edgar Allen Poe and Herman Melville, and their works are associated with Dark Romanticism, which emphasizes the human capacity for error and the potential for good individuals to succumb to sin and destruction. Dark romantics often highlight the unintended consequences and difficulties of well-intentioned social reform attempts.

Conclusion

The chapter- The Great Stone Face-I demonstrates to students Ernest's extreme desire to search for the man who would return to the valley and resemble the gigantic mountain. The summary would help students to gain a comprehensive understanding of the chapter.