The Marble Faun, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a fictitious novel that takes place in Rome in the 1800's. It follows the lives of four friends: Donatello, Hilda, Miriam, and Kenyon. They are all artists, each from a different field (sculpture, painting, etc.), but they all share the same passion for their work. Donatello is in love with Miriam, and it eventually drives him to murder.

The first pivotal point in the novel is in the catacombs. Miriam disappears, and her companions fear the spirits that dwell in the dank, dark passages of the "Subterranean Reminisces has stolen her. They search for her, calling her name, until finally she answers, and seemingly appears out of the darkness. They are relieved to see her, but she is not alone. A small man follows behind her, and they recognize him to be a model for sculptors. Donatello is suspicion, and...