Comparing Sin In The Scarlet Letter And Young Goodman Brown

From Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne is able to address the issue of Puritanism and how he criticizes their beliefs. The Puritan society often had their fixation on the common good. They want people to abide by their rules in order to live a “happy” life. The need to remain pure at all times has left people to be miserable. From Brown’s experience, Hawthorne reflects on their beliefs and the end results are not of peace and faith. Instead, the Puritans are instilled with moral corruption, guilt, evil, sin, and self doubt. If one wants to live in a perfect world, they would call this Utopia. Everything is contained while everyone continues to live their everyday life. As the story unfolds, the reader is able to get a sense of human nature and

From Young Goodman Brown, it was reacting to Hawthorne’s horrific Puritan upbringing. John Hathorne, who was Hawthorne’s great-great grandfather, participated in the Salem witch trials, as he was a judge. Due to Hawthorne’s Puritan roots, he decides to change his last name by adding a “w” to his name. He wanted to separate himself from his great-great grandfather and make his own legacy that was worth remembering. According to the Crisis Magazine article, Hawthorne was displeased by people’s lost of faith. In the Puritan society, sin played a significant role as the consequences were severe. Although, people are born into original sin, there is still room for saving. Referring back to the article, it mentions the theme of American moral conscience. People are often fixated with sin and how it manages to consume one’s subconscious. However, there’s still hope with salvation. Through Hawthorne’s works, he continues to battle between the good and evil. This can still be seen in today’s society, as our country continuously faces hardships which more or less makes us a divided nation. “There is no good on earth and sin is but a name. Come devil; for to thee is the world