The Great Stone Face - I

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The Great Stone Face - I

By Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Great Stone Face – I Introduction

The Great Stone Face-I revolves around an old prophecy that persists in a valley with the Great Stone Face shining over it. According to an old prophecy, one day a man will appear bearing the likeness of the Great Stone Face, and he will be the noblest and greatest of his time. One day, a mother tells her son, Ernest, about the prophecy, and he has been waiting for the man's arrival ever since. The plot revolves around how the villagers mistake two men for the one mentioned in the prophecy, and how, despite the long wait, Ernest remains hopeful that the man will appear.

The Great Stone Face – I Summary

The Great Stoneface was a natural artwork formed on the perpendicular side of a mountain by some huge rocks. The rocks were piled up in such a way that, from a certain distance, they resembled a human face. So, one fine day, a mother and son sat outside their cottage, gazing at the Great Stone Face, and the mother told her son, Ernest, about an old prophecy that said that someday in the future, a man will be born in the valley who will bear the likeness of the Great Stone Face, and he will be the greatest and noblest of the time. Ernest expressed a desire to live to see the man, and his mother, who was loving and caring, did not want to disappoint him, so she said, "Perhaps you may."
Ernest had never forgotten the prophecy and thought about it whenever he looked out at the valley since that day. Ernest was a respectful and hardworking child who assisted his mother. One fine day, word spread throughout town that Gathergold, a son of the valley who had settled out of it to establish himself as a shopkeeper, wanted to spend his final days in his native valley. He was so wealthy that counting his wealth would have taken him a hundred years. It was rumoured that he was the man mentioned in the prophecy. People were excited to see him, and everyone except Ernest believed that Mr Gathergold looked liked the Great Stone Face. People only agreed that he was not the man from the prophecy after he lost all of his wealth before dying.
Ernest grew up to be a diligent and kind man because he was a simple and helpful child. He used to go unnoticed in the valley because he was plain and simple, attracting little attention. People only noticed him staring at the Great Stone Face for hours after finishing his work for the day. People thought it was stupid, but it was understandable because he was a good neighbour. The Great Stone Face had become Earnest's teacher by the time he was old enough. It made him wiser than his peers his age.
Later, another valley son who had left to become a soldier expressed a desire to spend his final days in the valley where he was born. He had risen to the rank of a famous Commander through hard fighting and was known as Blood-and-Thunder on the battlefield. The valley had heard that this great fighter was the man they had been looking for. Preparations for his arrival began, and people who had never looked at the Great Stone Face before began spending hours looking at it to see how Bloodand-Thunder would look.
On the day of his arrival, everyone left work early to gather at the place where a feast had been planned to welcome the General. When people saw him, they rejoiced, claiming that he had the same face as them. Ernest couldn't see him at first, but when he did, he could compare him to the Great Stone Face who stood beside him. He came to the conclusion that there was no such resemblance as people claimed. He turned away in disappointment as his heart whispered to him, "fear not, Earnest, the man will come," as if the Great Stone Face was talking to him.
                          The Great Stone Face – I Lesson Explanation

One afternoon, when the sun was going down, a mother and her little boy sat at the door of their cottage, talking about the Great Stone Face. They had only to lift their eyes and there it was, plain to be seen, though miles away, with the sunshine brightening all its features. And what was the Great Stone Face? The Great Stone Face was a work of nature, formed on the perpendicular side of a mountain by some immense rocks, which had been thrown together so that, when viewed at a proper distance, they resembled the features of a human face. If the spectator approached too near, he lost the outline of the enormous face and could see only a heap of gigantic rocks, piled one upon another. But seen from a distance, the clouds clustering about it, the Great Stone Face seemed positively to be alive. It was the belief of many people that the valley owed much of its fertility to the benign face that was continually beaming over it.

  • Perpendicular- (cliff or rock-face) rising very steeply
  • Immense- huge
  • Spectator- onlooker; watcher
  • Enormous- very big
  • Heap- pile
  • Gigantic- immense
  • Clustering- gathering
  • Benign- kind, gentle

A mother and her young son sat outside their cottage one beautiful afternoon at sunset, discussing the Great Stone Face. It was so large that they only needed to lift their eyes to see it. Even though it was miles away, it was still visible because the sunlight enhanced all of its features. If I may ask, what exactly was the Great Stone Face? The Great Stone Face was a natural work of art made on the perpendicular side of a mountain by the natural piling up of some huge rocks. The rocks were piled in such a way that when viewed from a certain distance, they looked like a human face. However, if onlookers get too close, they will lose the outline of the great face and only see a pile of huge rocks. When viewed from afar, the Great Stone Face appeared to come to life as clouds gathered around it. Many people believed that the valley's fertility was due to the kind and gentle face that was constantly smiling over it.

A mother and her little boy, as we said earlier, sat at the door of their cottage, gazing at the Great Stone Face and talking about it. The child’s name was Ernest. “Mother,” said he, while the Great Face smiled on him, “I wish that it could speak, for it looks so very kindly that its voice must indeed be pleasant. If I ever see a man with such a face, I should love him very much.” “If an old prophecy should come to pass,” answered his mother, “we may see a man some time, with exactly such a face as that.” “What prophecy do you mean, dear Mother?” eagerly inquired Ernest. “Please tell me about it.”

  • Gazing- look steadily and intently, especially in admiration or thought
  • Prophecy- statement that tells what will happen in the future

As mentioned earlier in the story, a mother and her young son sat outside their cottage, staring at the Great Stone Face and talking about it. "Ernest" was the name of the son. Ernest told his mother about his desire to hear the Great Stone Face talk as the Great Stone Face smiled over him. He thought that a man with such a pleasant appearance must have a pleasant voice. He went on to say that if he ever met a man who looked like the Great Stone Face, he would love him. His mother replies, telling him that if an old prophecy comes true, a man who looks exactly like the Great Stone Face will appear one day. Ernest questions his mother about the old prophecy after hearing this.

So his mother told him a story that her own mother had told her, when she herself was younger than little Ernest; that, at some future day, a child should be born near here, who was destined to become the greatest and noblest person of his time and whose face, in manhood, should bear an exact resemblance to the Great Stone Face. Many still had faith in this old prophecy. But others took it to be nothing but idle talk. At all events the great man of the prophecy had not yet appeared

  • Noblest- having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles
  • Idle talk- foolish or irrelevant talk

When Ernest's mother was asked, she told him the story her mother had told her when she was even younger than little Ernest. It states that at some point in the future, a child born near the place will look exactly like the Great Stone Face when he or she grows up. He was destined to be the greatest and most selfless man of his generation. The majority of the population still believed in the prophecy, while others dismissed it. Whatever the case may be, the great man mentioned in the prophecy had not yet appeared.

“O, Mother,” cried Ernest, clapping his hands above his head, “I do hope that I shall live to see him!” His mother was an affectionate and thoughtful woman. It was proper, she thought, not to discourage the fanciful hopes of her little boy. So she said to him, “Perhaps you may.”

  • Affectionate- loving, caring
  • Fanciful- over-imaginative and unrealistic

Ernest clapped his hands above his head when he heard this because he was filled with hope. He expressed to his mother his desire to live long enough to see the nobleman. His mother, being a loving and thoughtful woman, did not want to discourage him, even though his hopes were a little unrealistic. As a result, she replied, "Perhaps you may".

And Ernest never forgot the story that his mother told him. It was always in his mind whenever he looked upon the Great Stone Face. He spent his childhood in the log-cottage where he was born, was dutiful to his mother and helpful to her in many things, assisting her much with his little hands, and more with his loving heart. In this manner, from a happy yet often pensive child he grew up to be a mild and quiet youth.

  • Pensive- thoughtful

Ernest remembered the story his mother told him and thought about it every time he looked at the Great Stone Face since that day. He spent his childhood in the log-cottage where he was born. He was responsible and loyal to his mother. With his small hands and loving heart, he would assist her in a variety of things. As a child, he was very obedient yet thoughtful, and he grew up to be low-key and quiet.

Ernest had had no teacher, but the Great Stone Face became one to him. When the work of the day was over, he would gaze at it for hours, until he began to imagine that those vast features recognized him, and gave him a smile of kindness and encouragement.

Ernest had never had a teacher, so the Great Stone Face filled that role for him. He would stare at the Great Stone Face for hours after finishing his work each day, until he began to believe that those massive features recognised him and smiled kindly at him. This boosted his confidence.

About this time there went a rumour throughout the valley that the great man, who was to bear a resemblance to the Great Stone Face, had appeared at last. It seems that, many years before, a young man had left the valley and settled at a distant seaport. Gathergold, which was his name, had set up as a shopkeeper and, being sharp in business matters, had become so very rich that it would have taken him a hundred years only to count his wealth. In time he thought of his native valley, and decided to go back there, and end his days where he had been born.

  • Native- a person born in a specified place or associated with a place by birth, whether subsequently resident there or not

Around that time, word spread throughout the valley that the great man from the old prophecy, who looked like  the Great Stone Face, was about to appear. A young man from the valley had moved to a distant seaport to become a well-established shopkeeper many years before. Gathergold was his name, and he was a very good businessman. Gathergold had gathered so much wealth by that point that counting it would have taken him a hundred years. He considered coming back to the valley at the time because he wanted to spend his final days where he was born.

Ernest had been deeply stirred by the idea that the great man, the nobleman, the man of prophecy, after so many ages of delay, was at length to be seen in his native valley. While the boy was still gazing up the valley one day and imagining that the Great Stone Face returned his gaze, the noise of wheels was heard, and a crowd of people cried. “Here comes the great Mr Gathergold.”

  • Stirred- arouse strong feeling in someone

Ernest was moved by the idea of seeing the greatest and noblest man from the prophecy in his native valley. Ernest was staring at the mountain one day, imagining that the Great Stone Face was staring back at him, when he heard the noise of wheels as people announced the arrival of the great Gathergold.

A carriage, drawn by four horses, dashed round the turn of the road. Within it, thrust partly out of the window appeared the face of an old man with yellow skin. “The very image of the Great Stone Face!” shouted the people. “Sure enough, the old prophecy is true. Here we have the great man, at last!” And, what greatly puzzled Ernest, they seemed actually to believe that here was the likeness which they spoke of. He turned away sadly from the wrinkled shrewdness of that unpleasant face, and gazed up the valley, where the Stone Face seemed to say: He will come! Fear not, Ernest; the man will come!

  • Dashed- (here) stopped forcefully
  • Shrewdness- the quality of having or showing good powers of judgment; sharpness
  • Likeness- the fact or quality of being alike; resemblance

The carriage in which Gathergold arrived made a noise of wheels. The carriage, drawn by four horses, came to an abrupt halt around the turn of the road. From the open window, one could see the face of an elderly man with yellowish skin. In their excitement, the people began shouting that the man looked liked the Great Stone Face and that the old prophecy had come true now that the great man was in the valley. Ernest couldn't understand why people thought the man looked liked the Great Stone Face as described in the prophecy. He became disappointed and turned away from the old man's wrinkled, clever, and unpleasant face. He stared at the valley, where he imagined the Great Stone Face telling him to be patient until the man of the prophecy arrived.

II
The years went on, and Ernest grew to be a young man. He attracted little notice from the inhabitants of the valley. They saw nothing remarkable in his way of life, except that, when the labour of the day was over, he still loved to gaze upon the Great Stone Face. Their idea was that this was a folly, but pardonable, because Ernest was industrious, kind and neighbourly. They did not know that the Great Stone Face had become a teacher to him, and that the sentiment which was expressed in it would enlarge the young man’s heart, and fill it with deeper sympathies than other hearts. They did not know that from this would come a better wisdom than could be learnt from books. Neither did Ernest know that the thoughts which came to him so naturally, in the fields and at the fireside, were of a higher tone than those which all men shared with him. A simple soul — simple as when his mother first told him the old story — he beheld the marvellous face looking down the valley, and still wondered, why its human likeness was so long in coming.

  • Inhabitants- people living in the valley; dwellers
  • Labour- work
  • Remarkable- worthy of attention; extraordinary
  • Folly- lack of good sense; foolishness
  • Pardonable- able to be forgiven; excusable
  • Industrious- diligent and hard-working
  • Beheld- saw
  • Marvellous- extremely good or pleasing; splendid
  • Sympathies- feelings (of sorrow, understanding and approval)

Ernest grew into a young man after a few years. He was not well-known among the valley's inhabitants. He led a very simple life, and the people of the valley saw nothing extraordinary in his way of life that deserves their attention. Only one thing drew their attention to him: after finishing his work for the day, he would still stare at the Great Stone Face. People thought it was his foolishness, but they also thought it was excusable because Ernest was diligent, hardworking, kind, and a good neighbour. The people were unaware that the Great Stone Face had been a teacher throughout his life. They had no idea that the sentiment expressed in it would expand Ernest's heart and fill it with emotions like sympathy, making it deeper than other people's hearts. The wisdom he gained from it was superior to that of any book, and the people of the valley were unaware of it. Even Ernest was unaware that the thoughts that came to him so naturally in the fields and by the fireside were far more complex and superior to those of others his age. He continued to remain a simple and uncomplicated soul, just as he had been when his mother first told him about the old prophecy. He still had his extremely pure and good-looking face that looked down at the valley, trying to figure out why the human embodiment of the Great Stone Face was taking so long.

By this time poor Mr Gathergold was dead and buried. His wealth, which was the body and spirit of his existence, had disappeared before his death. Since the melting away of his gold, it had been generally agreed that there was no great likeness, after all, between the ruined merchant and the majestic face upon the mountain.

  • Majestic- having or showing impressive beauty

Mr Gathergold, who was considered to be the man in the old prophecy, had died and been buried by that time. He lost all of his wealth before he died, which was thought to be the main essence of his existence. As his gold melted away, the valley's inhabitants realised that there was no resemblance between the ruined merchant and the magnificent beauty of the Great Stone Face.

It so happened that another son of the valley had become a soldier many years before. After a great deal of hard fighting, he was now a famous commander. He was known on the battlefield by the name of Blood-and-Thunder. Old and tired now, he had lately expressed a desire to return to his native valley. The inhabitants, his old neighbours and their grown up children, prepared to welcome the renowned commander. It was being said that at last the likeness of the Great Stone Face had actually appeared. Great, therefore, was the excitement throughout the valley, and many people who had never once thought of glancing at the Great Stone Face now spent much time in gazing at it, for the sake of knowing exactly how General Blood-and-Thunder looked.

  • Renowned- famous

Then came news that one of the valley's previous inhabitants had become a soldier many years before. After much struggle and fighting, he rose to the rank of a well-known commander. In fact, he was known as Blood-and-Thunder on the battlefield. He wanted to return to his native valley as he grew older. The inhabitants, his old neighbours, and their grown children began making preparations to greet the acclaimed commander. The news spread throughout the valley that the great likeness mentioned in the prophecy had appeared. The valley became excited, and even those who had never considered looking at the Great Stone face before began gazing at it for hours, just to imagine what General Blood-and-Thunder looked like.

On the day of the general’s arrival, Ernest and all the other people of the valley left their work, and proceeded to the spot where a great banquet had been prepared. Soldiers stood on guard, flags waved and the crowd roared. Ernest was standing too far back to see Blood-and-Thunder’s face. However, he could hear several voices.

  • Banquet- feast

Everyone, including Ernest, left work early on the day of General Blood-and- Thunder's arrival to gather at the place where a feast had been prepared to welcome the General. Soldiers were stationed on guard to greet him, flags were waved, and the crowd cheered. Ernest stood far away and couldn't see the General, but he could surely hear several voices.

“It’s the same face, exactly!” cried one man, dancing for joy. 
“Wonderfully like it, that’s a fact!” replied another. 
“And why not?” cried a third; 
“he’s the greatest man of this or any other age, beyond a doubt.” 
Ernest at last could see the general’s face; and in the same glance, to the side, he could also see the Great Stone Face. If there was such a likeness as the crowd proclaimed, Ernest could not recognize it. “Fear not, Ernest,” said his heart, as if the Great Stone Face was whispering to him, “fear not, Ernest; he will come.”

  • Proclaimed- (here) said loudly, announced

One person claimed that the General made the same expression as he danced in joy. Another person stated unequivocally that he looked liked the Great Stone Face. A voice could be heard saying that he is without a doubt the man from the prophecy because he is the greatest man of all time. Ernest had managed to cast a glance at the General's face in such a way that he could also see the Great Stone Face beside him. Ernest couldn't find any resemblance between the two, despite what the crowd said. At the same time, he could hear his heart telling him not to be concerned, as if it were the Great Stone Face itself telling him that the man would appear.

About the Author

Nathaniel Hawthorne, a New England writer, was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, where his paternal ancestors had been prominent since the founding generation (who then spelled their last name Hathorn). When he began writing fiction, he was drawn into a search for material in his ancestors' careers and in the history of colonial New England. While at Bowdoin College, Hawthorne began writing stories, romances, or both. He went on to write a number of American stories and novels, including "Young Goodman Brown" (1835), Twice-Told Tales (1837), "Ethan Brand" (1850), The Scarlet Letter (1850), The House of the Seven Gables (1851), and The Blithedale Romance (1852).  

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