Fanshawe was the first published work of Nathaniel Hawthorne and was based on his experiences at Bowdoin College. Fanshawe, a reclusive, meek intellectual who is in love with Ellen Langton who is in the care of Dr. Melmoth, the President of Harley College while her father is at sea. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist writing centers on New England, many featuring moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration and centering on the inherent evil and sin of humanity.