Theme Of Young Goodman Brown

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Short stories are one way for a writer to connect with an audience. By using the theme of a story the writer is able to, in a way, speak with their audience. The story of “Young Goodman Brown,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a well written story that pulls readers in by using an important theme, darkness. An analysis of “Young Goodman Brown” revealed how darkness infects Goodman Brown throughout the story; Goodman Brown’s relationship with the traveler, and Goodman Brown’s mind reveal insight to his infestation.
The short story reveals a corrupt nature in the traveler which strongly resembles young Goodman Brown. Looking closer into how the traveler resembles Goodman Brown the story reveals a few key components. The traveler is in same stage of
There were several areas within the story when the main character’s infected mind affects his personality. The beginning of the story Goodman Brown is leaving his home, which is full of light and love to embark on a journey of darkness. As the writer paints a picture of goodness, “She’s a blessed angel on earth and after this one night I’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven,” he soon sets the stage for darkness to invade (292). The author wrote, “With this excellent resolve for the future, Goodman Brown felt himself justified in making more haste on his present evil purpose,” yet this leads the reader to question why having a wonderful life would lead to throwing it away (292). The darkness in Goodman Brown mind grows as the story continues. The end of the story all of Goodman Brown’s dream experiences from the night before left him with his hidden, dark personality that was revealed previously only in his dream. The story identifies that all that had happened was only a dream, for he had fallen asleep in the forest. However, even after realizing the darkness was only a dream Goodman Brown was still infested with darkness and it had taken a permanent root in his life. The dark infestation in the mind of Goodman Brown caused him to loose what was pure in his life. Goodman Brown leaves his home, which ultimately creates a separation between his wife and him that had previously been strong. Goodman Brown recognizes that his wife is very worried about him leaving, yet he reassures her and continues with his, already anticipated, evil path. In the forest he thought that he lost his wife because of screams he heard I the forest. This was then followed by her pink ribbons that came floating down from the sky. The darkness that had already rooted itself inside Goodman Brown led him even further astray: instead of turning back to check on his wife he pushed more fiercely

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