Posthumous Rating of Hawthorne and “Young Goodman Brown”
This essay intends to trace the main literary criticism of the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and “Young Goodman Brown”since the author’s death in 1864.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s acclamation as a great writer by both critics and the general public was not an overnight occurrence. The Norton Anthology: American Literature states that “he was agonizingly slow in winning acclaim” (547).
Initially, of course, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literary works went unranked among those of other American and British writers. But his reputation grew gradually even among contemporary critics, until he was recognized as a “man of genius.” The question in this essay is this: How does he and “Young Goodman Brown” fare since 1864 when Hawthorne died.
The poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote a poem commemorating Hawthorne for the funeral in 1864:
. . . . There in seclusion and remote from men
The wizard hand lies cold,
Which at its topmost speed let fall the pen,
And left the tale half told.
Ah! who shall lift that wand of magic power,
And the lost clew regain?
The unfinished windows in Aladdin's tower
Unfinished must remain!
In 1871 James T. Fields published Yesterdays With Authors, in which Chapter 3 deals with his evaluation of Nathaniel Hawthorne:
I AM sitting to-day opposite the likeness of the rarest genius America has given to literature,--a man who lately sojourned in this busy world of ours, but during many years of his life
"Wandered lonely as a cloud,"--
a man who had, so to speak, a physical affinity with solitude. The writings of this author have never soiled the public mind with one unlovely image. His men and women have a magic of their own, and we shall wait a long
time before another arises among us to take his place. Indeed, it seems probable no one will ever walk precisely the same round of fiction which he traversed with so free and firm a step.
What lovely thoughts! What a tribute to Hawthorne’s genius! The very next year Henry James wrote a review of Hawthorne for the Nation:
Our remarks are not provoked by any visible detriment conferred on Mr. Hawthorne's fame by these recent publications. . .His journals throw but little light on his personal feelings, and even less on his genius per se.
The film Casablanca centers on an American man by the name of Rick Blaine who flees a German-occupied France during World War II to a city in Morocco by the name of Casablanca. (Casablanca, 1942) This city is a territory of France at the time and is out of full German jurisdiction due to this status. (Casablanca, 1942) Many citizens of German-occupied countries in Europe sought refuge here due to the lack of control Germany had on other countries’ territories early in the war. The general intent of refugees in Casablanca was to flee to even further countries such as The United States of America, which they could not achieve in their home, occupied countries. As the film’s plot develops, the viewer is introduced to refugees very important to the freedom-fighting movement France, and we learn that Rick originated in New York, U.S.A.
Audience members, when seeing Casablanca, would associate it as a war film, and I agree with that, but to be more precise, it is a pro Allie war film. The literary elements in the film are the reasons why it can be viewed this way, with the emphasis on the plot and characters. The timing of when the film was released also supports the idea of it being an anti Axis film. Although it was set in 1940, it was made a year after Pearl Harbor and America entering the war, but it was released right before the Allies had a meeting in Casablanca, so the filmmakers seemed to have wanted the audience to empathize with the Allies.
Rick, before encountering Ilsa, lives with the sole intention of satisfying his needs alone. He refuses to inconvenience himself in any way to aid another person. For example, when Ugarte frantically approaches him begging for a hiding spot, Rick coldly turns him down without even considering the request (Casablanca). As Rick still suffers from the loss of Ilsa, acting as an isolationist has become second nature to him. Ferrari even says to Rick at one point, “Isolation is no longer a practical policy” (Casablanca). Around this time, similarly, the United States has adopted a policy of isolationism. So far, the country has refused to join the war even though the Nazis, enemies of America, have clearly been dominating it. In Rick’s case, the interaction with Ilsa single-handedly transformed his social policy. Shortly after Rick first talks with Ilsa, he uncharacteristically chooses to help the underaged woman and her husband win at roulette. This transformation in Rick’s personality, stemming from the confrontation of his problems, culminates when he makes the ultimate sacrifice to send away Ilsa with her husband (Casablanca). In the same way that Ilsa’s appearance served as the definitive moment in breaking Rick’s isolationism, the film foreshadows how there similarly needs to be a definitive moment which breaks
"Nathaniel Hawthorne." American Studies @ The University of Virginia. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma01/lisle/dial/hawthorne.html
Kaul, A. N., Ed.. "HAWTHORNE: A Collection of Critical Essays." Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1966.
The characters have done a great job giving insight to what it must really feel like in WWII. The experience they gave during the film really show 's great effort on love pain and sorrow. But they all have a role to play because they dealing with war and they want us to know what that feels like. Most people who are alive nowadays has never experienced what war was like so they figured to show and have people understand. Overall I think this film showed well explanation on how things were back then and how things work now. All characters were motivating from different situations because of the relations between WWII. The original play, as mentioned, was a good, strong story but lacked cinematic appeal. It was static and talky. Curtiz, who was something of a pioneer in camera techniques, added much of the necessary dynamic action to the film, brilliantly handling the refugee crowd scenes and the violent opening street scene that sets the mood of the film and makes it clear what a dangerous place Casablanca
The song “As Time Goes By”, plays a specific role in connecting the past of Rick and Ilsa in Paris. The first time Ilsa walks into Rick’s cafe she asks Sam to play that very song. Sam at first seems hesitant because he knows the pain the song can put on Rick. The song brings him back to when they were happily in love, and the pain he felt when she didn’t show up at the train station. Just like the other guests, Rick tries to forget that pain by trying to never hear that song again. Sam eventually decides to play the song, and it turns out for the best. Rick even though remembering the hurtful past experiences, remembers the good ones as well. They eventually become reacquainted with each other. This allows Rick to keep his life moving because when Ilsa ditched him, he has been in halted state. Now that Rick had his life back up and running, he could setout to be the hero depicted towards the end of the
Since ours is an age that has found irony, ambiguity, and paradox to be central not only in literature but in life, it is not surprising that Hawthorne has seemed to us one of the most modern of nineteenth century American writers. The bulk and general excellence of the great outburst of Hawthorne criticism of the past decade attest to his relevance for us (54).
Lang, H.J. “How Ambiguous is Hawthorne?” In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.
Martin, Terence. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Revised Edition. Twayne’s United States Authors Series. G.K. Hall & Company. Massachusetts. 1983.
“Nathaniel Hawthorne – Biography.” The European Graduate School. The European Graduate School, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2014
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” captivates the reader through a glimpse of the Puritan church. The story also shows the struggle of good versus evil in the main character Goodman Brown. The role of the Puritan church is crucial in shaping Goodman Brown’s personality and helping the reader understand why he was reluctant to continue his journey.
he hears his landlord yelling because he was being arrested. But they do not save him
Both Rick Grimes and his actions are moral and unselfish. Rather than being self-centered, Rick puts his life on the line to protect the group and his family with the best of his ability. The well-intentioned actions and selfless motives of Rick is evident in these three examples. In the early events of the zombie outbreak, Rick manages to escape the hospital and meets Morgan and his son Duane. After Duane mistakens Rick for a zombie and knocks him out with shovel, Morgan and him bring Rick to their shelter. Even though Rick is desperately concerned to locate his missing wife and son, he never forgets to return the favor. For a few more days, Rick stays with Morgan and Duane as he takes the two into the town's police department to use the showers and retrieve weapons and ammunition. Despite the overwhelming danger and his worried state, Rick is able to retain his good moral character to the people of of his neighborhood, like Morgan and Duane.
In 1836, Hawthorne became the editor for the “American Magazine of Useful and Entertaining Knowledge.” During this time, he and the poet Thomas Green Fessenden lived together in Boston. Three years later he was offered an appointment at the...