44 pages 1 hour read

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Marble Faun

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1860

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Chapters 24-31

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 24 Summary: “The Tower Among the Apennines”

In June, Kenyon visits Donatello—who we learn is a count—at his country estate of Monte Beni in Tuscany. The new tendency toward melancholy in Donatello’s demeanor surprises Kenyon.

Chapter 25 Summary: “Sunshine”

Donatello tells Kenyon that his relatives have all died and that he is the last of the noblemen of Monte Beni. Donatello and Kenyon enjoy glasses of Sunshine, a wine specially produced at the estate for centuries. Kenyon praises the wine for its youthful and restorative qualities. Tomaso, a butler, explains that the method of making Sunshine is a secret and that it has never been sold.

When Kenyon asks Donatello to let him sculpt a bust of him, Donatello replies, “[I]t troubles me to be looked at steadfastly” (167). Kenyon mentions Miriam, and Donatello trembles with “a ghastly emotion” (168). He asks about her, and Kenyon says that when he left Rome she was gone from her studio. Kenyon retires for the night in a guest room at the house.

Chapter 26 Summary: “The Pedigree of Monte Beni”

From Tomaso Kenyon learns about Donatello’s family lineage, which extends back to ancient and mythical times. According to legend, the founder of the family was an arcadian “sylvan creature” who married a mortal woman.

Related Titles

By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

Dr. Heidegger's Experiment

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Dr. Heidegger's Experiment

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

Ethan Brand

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Ethan Brand

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

My Kinsman Major Molineux

Nathaniel Hawthorne

My Kinsman Major Molineux

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

The Ambitious Guest

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Ambitious Guest

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

The Artist of the Beautiful

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Artist of the Beautiful

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

The Blithedale Romance

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Blithedale Romance

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

The Hollow of the Three Hills

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Hollow of the Three Hills

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

The House of the Seven Gables

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The House of the Seven Gables

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

The Maypole Of Merry Mount

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Maypole Of Merry Mount

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

The Minister's Black Veil

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Minister's Black Veil

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

The Wives of the Dead

Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Wives of the Dead

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Study Guide

logo

Young Goodman Brown

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Young Goodman Brown

Nathaniel Hawthorne