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The importance of Gothic literature
Essay - literary elements of gothic literature
History of gothic literature essays
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5. Nathaniel Hawthorne--"Young Goodman Brown." Discuss the story as an example of Gothic Romanticism. “Young Goodman Brown,” one of the stories in The Norton Anthology of American literature, fits into a sub-genre of American Romanticism. While similar to the fantasy and emotional side of American Romanticism it adds a dark twist to both emotion and nature, while still sticking true to the roots of a fantasy realm merging with reality. This genre is referred to as Gothic Romanticism, this story exemplifies and this with vivid descriptions of morbid, gloomy events, entangled with deep emotional and psychological torment. Oddly, enough the emphasis on emotion and dark boding it keeps its sensibility, and a desire of hope. Firstly, the story …show more content…
Discuss this view. "Thanatopsis was written by William Cullen Bryant in 1811 and is presented in the book The Norton Anthology of American literature. The themes in "Thanatopsis” is centered on death, however, Mr. Bryant is not portraying death as something to fear. Instead he presents a view of dying as natural, inescapable, and a unifying moment on earth (Krupat and Levine 124-125). Predominantly the poem offers a sense of comfort and wisdom, against the fear and pain associated with death. Bryant shows readers not to agonize over dying, in fact, he writes, "When thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a blight over thy spirit, and sad images of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall, and breathless darkness, and the narrow house, make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart -- go forth under the open sky, and list to Nature 's teachings." With this it eludes each person face their own death, without fright, to feel isolated and alone in death but to find peace in knowing that every person before had died and all those after will join in death (Krupat and Levine …show more content…
Bryant offers a view of life everlasting, “Thine individual being, shalt thou go to mix forever with the elements” (Krupat and Levine 124). This offers a sense of each person’s life living on, through the earth, and the comfort of knowing that no one is alone in death even if someone is alone in life. For the reason that, death is the one occurrence in nature that ultimately unites us all. As it is all part of the unending circle of life. Word Count 274 Reply Sarah Freels: 4. Nathaniel Hawthorne--"Young Goodman Brown." Do you think that Brown 's experience was real, a dream, or a product of his psychological imagination? Support the response with analysis and use specific examples from the text. While dream-like is a reasonable term to use in this story, it appeared more as a split in the mind. As though poor young Goodman Brown, suddenly saw the world for what it truly was, a ripple of each person, each event of his life, being nothing more than a lie. So, he coped with this new reality and truth through a manifestation of visions in an attempt to cope with this very harsh reality. The association of the time and place of the story, Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trails and Puritan reign on the US, it seems that he finally saw the evils that laid beneath the surface of those who claimed to be godly, chief among them Cloyse, his father, and his darling wife (Krupat and Levine
My initial response to the poem was a deep sense of empathy. This indicated to me the way the man’s body was treated after he had passed. I felt sorry for him as the poet created the strong feeling that he had a lonely life. It told us how his body became a part of the land and how he added something to the land around him after he died.
Hawthorne and Poe showcase a theme of darkness but differ in their approach to the setting. In Young Goodman Brown, the story primarily
In "Young Goodman Brown," Nathaniel Hawthorne, through the use of deceptive imagery, creates a sense of uncertainty that illuminates the theme of man's inability to operate within a framework of moral absolutism. Within every man there is an innate difference between good and evil and Hawthorne's deliberate use of ambiguity mirrors this complexity of human nature. Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown, is misled by believing in the perfectibility of humanity and in the existence of moral absolutes. According to Nancy Bunge, Hawthorne naturally centers his story upon a Puritan protagonist to convey the "self-righteous" that he regards as the "antithesis of wisdom"(4). Consequently, Young Goodman Brown is unable to accept the indefinable vision of betrayal and evil that he encounters in the forest. The uncertainty of this vision, enhanced by Hawthorne's deliberate, yet effective, use of ambiguity, is also seen in the character of Faith, the shadows and darkness of the forest, and the undetectable boundaries that separate nightmarish dreams from reality.
In the story "Young Goodman Brown", Nathaniel Hawthorne uses a dream to illustrate a young man’s loss of innocence, understanding of religion and his community. Through this dream, the main character Young Goodman realizes that the people that he surrounds himself with are not who he believes them to be. The story of “Young Goodman Brown” focuses on the unconscious mind. The characters in this short-story are able to represent the struggle of Young Goodman’s superego, ego, and id.
In Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the tale of a man and his discovery of evil. Hawthorne’s primary concern is with evil and how it affects Young Goodman Brown. Through the use of tone and setting, Hawthorne portrays the nature of evil and the psychological effects it can have on man. He shows how discovering the existence of evil brings Brown to view the world in a cynical way. Brown learns the nature of evil and, therefore, feels surrounded by its presence constantly.
In conclusion, it is obvious that there is a proliferation of familiar literary motifs in “Young Goodman Brown.”
Bryant uses the fact that we are not alone in death to comfort his readers. Through this, he explains that when people die, they will be reunited with loved ones that they have lost in the past. He also explains that even those who have not died yet will die eventually and they will be with them again as well. He says, “Yet not to thine eternal resting place shalt thou retire alone, nor couldst thou wish for a couch more magnificent.” By saying this, Bryant is stating that everyone dies and...
Clarice Swisher in “Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography” states: ”When Hawthorne called his stories ‘romances,’ he meant that they belong within the romantic movement that . . . . emphasize imagination and personal freedom” (18). It is the purpose of this essay to interpret the theme of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and determine where this “personal freedom” leads.
William Cullen Bryant wrote a poem regarding the passing of people from this world into the afterlife which he called “Thanatopsis”. The word Thanatopsis is actually a Greek word meaning ‘meditation on or contemplation of death’. It is the opinion of some readers that this poem expresses a traditional religious view of afterlife in heaven where as others who read it see it as a process that only involves our rejoining with nature. Bryant made references to heaven, nature and spirits which contribute to the discussion on both sides of the argument. Poetry, just like every other form of art, is subject to interpretation. After taking a closer look at Thanatopsis it will be easier to see just why these people cannot seem to agree. Bryant made
The use of dark imagery throughout the story gives you a sense of fear of the unknown that lies ahead of Goodman Brown on his journey. The beginning sentence of the story illustrates an image of a sunset and the approaching of night as Goodman Brown sets off on his mission. ?Young Goodman Brown came forth, at sunset, into the street of Salem village, but put his head back, after crossing the threshold.? (196) Here, the light of the sun represents the knowledge that Goodman Brown already has. The imagery of darkness setting in is the unknown knowledge Goodman Brown is out to discover. Goodman Brown must first travel through the darkness of the unknown before he reaches the light of enlightenment and truth that is why he is embarking on his journey throughout the night hours. ?My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done ?twist now and sunrise.? (197)
"Themes and Construction: 'Young Goodman Brown'." EXPLORING Short Stories. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Discovering Collection. Gale. Bismarck State College Library. 28 Mar. 2008
In our lives, we go through stages of mindset and maturity that naturally coincide with aging. One thing that remains the same, though, through all of these stages, is that eventually, we die; we are completely aware of that as humans. Whether because it’s due to the painful reality that is mortality, our ever-diminishing ability to be wistful and imaginative, or merely the impending coming of the Grim Reaper, our entire lives are, ironic as it is, surrounded by and flooded with death. However, as we grow older, our perception of death changes. It goes from taboo in our young ages to something that begins to surround and eventually consume us as we grow older. Between the poems “For the Anniversary of my Death” by
A romantic work focuses on the individual and his inner struggles as well as his external conflict. “Young Goodman Brown” accomplished this through the title character whose journey is followed over the course of the story. Though Young Goodman Brown meets many others on his trip, the focus never wavers from him and his internal struggle. For instance, when Goodman Brown witnesses the minister and deacon riding into the wilderness, the story immediately cuts to his reaction to them, “Young Goodman Brown caught hold...
The speaker started the poem by desiring the privilege of death through the use of similes, metaphors, and several other forms of language. As the events progress, the speaker gradually changes their mind because of the many complications that death evokes. The speaker is discontent because of human nature; the searching for something better, although there is none. The use of language throughout this poem emphasized these emotions, and allowed the reader the opportunity to understand what the speaker felt.
Through means of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, “Young Goodman Brown,” Hawthorne manipulates allegorical dimension in order to lure readers into his writing. He creates doubt and curiosity within the readers’ minds by meshing both the actual and fantasy; furthermore, altering certain truths and consequently creating an imaginary world, which marks the success of Hawthorne’s technique. A definite sense of corruption is seen as Young Goodman Brown converses with the Devil. Hawthorne successfully manipulates the environment within the story to take the form of meaningful symbols, staying true to his influence by the Romantic period. In my opinion the most interesting aspect of the story is when the narrative