The Golden Touch Flashcards
by Nathaniel Hawthorne — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: The Golden Touch
Who is King Midas and what is his greatest desire?
King Midas is a wealthy king who is obsessed with gold above all else, even valuing his royal crown primarily because it is made of gold. His greatest desire is to have everything he touches turn to gold.
What is the name of Midas's daughter?
His daughter is named Marygold, a name the narrator admits to choosing himself because he loves odd names for little girls.
Who grants Midas the Golden Touch, and how does this figure appear?
A mysterious supernatural stranger appears in Midas's locked treasure room, described as a young man with a cheerful face whose smile seems to radiate a golden lustre. He grants Midas the Golden Touch as a wish, telling him it will take effect at sunrise the next morning.
Where does Midas spend his happiest hours before receiving the Golden Touch?
Midas retreats to a dark underground dungeon at the base of his palace where he keeps his treasure. There he counts coins, sifts gold dust through his fingers, and admires his reflection in a polished golden cup.
How does Midas first discover the Golden Touch has been granted?
Midas wakes anxiously before sunrise and finds that nothing changes at his touch, making him fear the stranger had tricked him. When the first sunbeam enters the room, the bed linen transforms into golden cloth, confirming the wish was granted.
What happens to Midas's breakfast when he tries to eat?
Every food Midas touches turns to gold — coffee becomes molten metal, the trout becomes a metallic fish, a hot cake turns to gold, an egg is transformed, and a potato burns his mouth as solid metal. He is surrounded by the richest breakfast imaginable yet cannot eat a single bite.
Why does Marygold come to breakfast crying?
Marygold ran into the garden to pick roses for her father but found them all transformed into hard, scentless, yellow gold. She is heartbroken that the beautiful, fragrant flowers she loved are ruined.
How does Marygold become turned to gold?
When Marygold runs to comfort her distressed father and he bends down to kiss her forehead, the Golden Touch transforms her instantly into a gold statue. She is left with a look of love and pity frozen on her golden face.
How does Midas remove the curse of the Golden Touch?
The supernatural stranger returns and instructs Midas to plunge into the river at the bottom of his garden and then fill a pitcher with its water. Sprinkling that river water on any golden object restores it to its original form.
What two permanent reminders of the Golden Touch remain after the curse is lifted?
The sands of the river sparkle like gold forever after, and Marygold's hair retains a golden tinge from having been transmuted — a change Midas considers an improvement that makes her hair richer than before.
What is the central moral or theme of "The Golden Touch"?
The story warns against greed and the dangers of placing wealth above human relationships and simple pleasures. Midas learns too late that love, food, water, and warmth are worth infinitely more than gold.
How does the story use the concept of irony?
Midas is granted the very wish he desires most, yet that wish becomes the source of his greatest suffering — he cannot eat, drink, or embrace his beloved daughter. The gift that was meant to make him happy destroys everything he truly loves.
What does gold symbolize in "The Golden Touch"?
Gold symbolizes greed, materialism, and the corruption that comes from valuing wealth over people and nature. It also represents the way obsessive desire destroys beauty — the roses, food, and Marygold herself all lose their true value when turned to gold.
What does Marygold's name suggest about her character?
Marygold's name evokes the marigold flower, connecting her to the natural world, beauty, and innocent joy that Midas has neglected in his obsession with gold. She represents the true warmth and richness that no amount of wealth can replicate.
What narrative frame does Hawthorne use to tell this story?
The story is framed as a tale told by Eustace Bright, a college student, to a group of children during an autumn outing at Shadow Brook. This frame appears in the introduction and epilogue sections and connects the myth to a real-world storytelling context.
How does Hawthorne use foreshadowing in the story?
Early signs foreshadow the Golden Touch's danger: Midas dismisses Marygold's dandelions as worthless unless they were real gold, his own reflection in the golden cup seems to mock him, and the stranger repeatedly asks whether Midas is sure he will not regret the wish.
What is the significance of the autumn setting in the framing narrative?
Eustace Bright tells the story while surrounded by autumn leaves that have turned golden, directly inspiring the tale of Midas. Hawthorne uses this natural golden transformation as a parallel to the Golden Touch, linking seasonal change to the story's themes.
What does the word "avarice" mean as used in the story?
Avarice means an extreme, insatiable greed for wealth or gain. The stranger uses it to describe the mischief Midas's own avarice has caused when offering him the chance to undo the Golden Touch.
What does "transmuted" mean in the context of "The Golden Touch"?
Transmuted means changed from one substance into another. Hawthorne uses the word repeatedly to describe how Midas's touch converts ordinary objects — food, flowers, clothing, and finally Marygold — into gold.
What does "indefatigably" mean as used when Midas works in the garden?
Indefatigably means without tiring or stopping, showing persistent and relentless effort. Hawthorne uses it to describe how thoroughly and energetically Midas applied his touch to every rose and bud in the garden.
What does "insatiable" mean in describing Midas's desire for wealth?
Insatiable means impossible to satisfy, no matter how much is provided. The word captures Midas's condition perfectly — the more gold he acquires, the more he wants, and he can never feel content.
What does the stranger say after Midas tells him he is very miserable?
"Gold is not everything," answered Midas. "And I have lost all that my heart really cared for." The stranger then asks which is worth more — the Golden Touch, a cup of water, a crust of bread, or Marygold herself.
What does Midas say when the stranger asks which he values more — the Golden Touch or Marygold?
Midas cries: "I would not have given that one small dimple in her chin for the power of changing this whole big earth into a solid lump of gold!" This marks the turning point of his transformation from a greedy king to a wiser father.
What does the stranger say to confirm that Midas has learned his lesson?
The stranger tells Midas: "You are wiser than you were, King Midas. Your own heart, I perceive, has not been entirely changed from flesh to gold." He then offers Midas the chance to remove the curse if he sincerely desires it.
What is Midas's final statement about gold at the end of the story?
As an old man bouncing grandchildren on his knee, Midas says: "Ever since that morning, I have hated the very sight of all other gold, save this!" — referring to the golden tinge of Marygold's hair and her children's hair inherited from her.