Conclusion ‘Impression[s] of Veracity': Echoes of the Romantic Moral Romance in the Modern, Symbolic Novel 1

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book explores the transatlantic relationship between Elizabeth Inchbald and Nathaniel Hawthorne, solidifying the connection between the two by focusing first on common influences that may have inflected the evolution of their fiction. It turns specifically to Inchbald and her popularity and influence both in Britain and America during and just prior to Hawthorne's lifetime. The book examines the two authors' divergent intentions in experimenting with the novel and romance forms and with developing their particularly Romantic versions before moving to a tentative definition of their alternative sub-genre. It discusses the evocation of Shakespearean precedent in Inchbald's and Hawthorne's romances, especially in their adaptation of the experimental romance genre of Shakespeare's last plays. Inchbald and Hawthorne further expand their experimentation with romance forms in their depictions of the fragmented Romantic psyche.