A Soul Refreshed: ‘Footprints on the Seashore’

Nathaniel Hawthorne's essay on renewing oneself in solitude

A walk along a seashore reminds Nathaniel Hawthorne of his individuality and uniqueness in "Footprints on the Seashore." Aleksandr Ozerov/Shutterstock

In a busy, booming world, we can easily lose our individuality in a vast crowd. Yet in his memoir of one experience, “Footprints on the Seashore,” Nathaniel Hawthorne suggests a solitary walk along the seashore as a remedy, for it restores our connection with nature and our individuality in a world full of people.

Hawthorne seeks the solitude and solace of the sea, sky, and seashore on a September morning. He avoids all society to better enjoy his surroundings.

‘Footprints on the Seashore’

Upon reaching the shore, his heart swells and leaps. The immense sea, the loud roar of the waves, the expanse of the shore awaken his heart and “enlarge its sense of being.” Away from the rest of humanity and exposed to nature’s raw power, Hawthorne’s individual soul stretches to its full capacity in the solitude of nature.

Stepping in the sand, it is almost as if he sees the impact of his soul on the surrounding landscape. How long these footprints will stay is uncertain, but the thoughts and feelings of his soul impress themselves in the sand with each step.

And as he retraces his steps, his tracks reveal his “every unconscious wandering of thought and fancy.” The tracks show where he grabbed a shell, or how far he dragged a piece of seaweed, or where he dug among the pebbles. The course of his footprints shows the course and nature of his soul and its dreams.

Even by simply writing his name in the sand, Hawthorne gives fulfillment to his individuality. No matter how large he makes the letters or when they wash away, his hand gives utterance to his soul.

Remembrance and Recognition

The shore not only allows his soul a space to imprint itself in the sand, but it also gives him a view of the past—and not just a recollection and reflection of his past, but also of the immense, mysterious past of the sea.

The roar of the waves has been consistent and continual for ages. As he listens, with sagely wisdom it “warn[s] the listener to withdraw his interest from mortal vicissitudes and let the infinite idea of eternity pervade his soul.” The waves call his attention to the infinite sea that resembles eternity. His soul is humbled, but not lost.

As dusk falls and Hawthorne heads home, he does not feel sad. Rather, he feels enlightened about his individuality and humanity in the grand scale of eternity. He returns to the rest of humanity revived. He will be happier and kinder to those around him, for the sea brings him back to himself.

Through this story, Hawthorne brings us to the edge of the sea, where we dip our toes in the water of its infinite wisdom. He sings praises of solitude and the great joy and solace it brings.

And yet, he does not encourage us to shirk mankind forever. Rather, he shows, as Ralph Waldo Emerson says in “Self-Reliance”: “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.”

Nature is a retreat where we can find ourselves by baring our souls to its deep wisdom. It reminds us that even though we are many, we are individuals with minds and souls of our own in the expanse of eternity. And just like a single pebble in the sea, our influence will ripple across eternity.

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