What Many Men Desire: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Short Story ‘The Golden Touch’

In the Nathaniel Hawthorne version of the Midas myth, Midas's daughter turns to a golden statue when he touches her. An illustration by Walter Crane for the 1893 edition of "A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Library of Congress. Public Domain

For centuries, men have desired riches and, in particular, gold. Many have done everything possible to obtain this precious metal. Whatever motivates them, this desire has caused wars, feuds, deaths, and betrayals.

In his short story “The Golden Touch,” Nathaniel Hawthorne contemplated the dangers of gold and the consequences of an unquenchable desire for it by revisiting the story of King Midas and his golden touch.