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In “Young Goodman Brown,” Nathaniel Hawthorne
In “Young Goodman Brown,” Nathaniel Hawthorne
2. Religious hypocrisy in Hawthorne’s “Young, Goodman Brown”
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In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “ Young Goodman Brown,” the author uses symbolism throughout his writing. Symbolism is a figure of speech used when the author wants to set a certain mood or emotion in his or her literature. It’s the use of objects, a characters name, a word or words to serve as something different, like a concept, in literature. Symbolism is always an important part of Hawthorne’s work, which is found in the names of his characters, objects, settings, and many other parts of his writing to keep you interested and gaining your attention while you read, leaving the big concepts hidden behind symbols to keep you guessing, a mystery. The forest was one of the biggest symbols used in the story, “Young Goodman Brown”, it leaves Brown questioning his faith and beliefs and even the people around him he once had faith in. The forest is described as “black mass,” the word black is used because it is
Puritanism is often reflected in Hawthorne’s work. Puritans moved to New England and created a strong presence. Hawthorne was raised in Salem Massachusetts and his grandfather was a judge in the Salem witch trial. Puritanism, was a very important part of his background, which are often questioned in his works; many of which his stories take place in a Puritan setting. Most of the stories were good versus evil in man. In “Young Goodman Brown” Brown sees the most valued and respected members of his religious community associating with the devil. He is shocked to see the people he had the greatest faith in, Faith and his catechism teacher at an evil gathering. This leads him to still question everyone’s faith after the fact. In “Young Goodman Brown”, Hawthorne criticizes Puritan beliefs, suggesting that they are more wicked that they are godly. His works show that he has faith but its not always as strong and is easily questioned by the actions of others and the surrounding around
In "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne analyzes the Puritans’ consciousness and the hidden wickedness of their nature. He takes a naïve Puritan man and takes him on a journey into the dark forest to meet an old man whom we presume, is the devil. As the naïve Puritan embarks on his journey, his wife "Faith" kisses him good bye. The Puritan has an overwhelming feeling of guilt as he is entering the forest to meet with the Devil. He realized what he is doing was forbidden and none of his forefathers or fellow Puritans would ever commit such a sin. During his meeting with the Devil his naïveté dissolves. He sees Deacon Gookin, his old catechism teacher, and other upstanding members of the community, whom he looked up to and feared, dancing around the Devil’s fire. He is told that the Devil has helped his father and Grandfather in years past. His innocence is completely destroyed when he sees his own wife Faith dancing around the Devils circle . He screams in agony: "My faith is gone. There is no good on earth; and sin is but a ...
Symbolism is using a character or object to represent an idea. Hawthorne displayed much of it in his novel, The Scarlet Letter. He displays it in his characters and objects in the novel. He even symbolizes the book by calling it, “A tale of human frailty and sorrow.” Other displays of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, are like, the rosebush, the scaffold, and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Symbolism can sometimes be hard to understand, or difficult to figure out what a character or object is symbolizing.
Nathaniel Hawthorne is a well known 19th century author. One reason he is well known is his view towards Puritanism. Hawthorne would often criticize Puritanism in his short stories and novels. Two short stories that show Hawthorne’s view of Puritanism are “Young Goodman Brown” and “The ministers black veil”.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown” Hawthorne conveys to readers a seemingly highly religious Puritan town. However, this town appears to be holding a devious truth. Throughout his work Hawthorne utilizes symbolism to convey the corrupt and evil truth behind the otherwise highly religious Puritan town. Through his main symbol usage of Faith’s pink ribbons, Faith’s name and appearances throughout the story, and the woods in which the story is set, readers see the façade slowly fade through the story and reveal the truth about the town.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale, “Young Goodman Brown,” is rich in symbolism, as this essay will amply illustrate.
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)
...ssed though the use of setting, foreshadowing, and symbolism. William Graham Sumner once said “Men never cling to their dreams with such tenacity as at the moment when they are losing faith in them, and know it, but do not dare yet to confess it to themselves.” (brainyquote.com). This statement holds many truths to the thoughts and actions of the young Goodman Brown in Hawthorne’s allegorical story. Brown was quick to go on his foreboding quest, knowing what his meeting with the devil may lead to, and only when threatened and scared attempted to turn back to hold on to both Faith physically and psychologically. Whether his journey into the forest was an illusion or not, Brown’s perception of faith in society have been dramatically altered, as he may have lost all faith in humanity.
Nathaniel Hawthorne did not write Young Goodman Brown to insult the Puritans’ views on religion. By the time he wrote this short story, the Puritans did not exist anymore. Hawthorne simple shows how their way of religion can affect a person’s life and how they struggle to live to the standards of a “good Christian”. Goodman Brown seems to struggle with being what the Puritans consider a good Christian man. He fits the image of a good Christian but did not have the relationship that one should have. If he did have a Christian like faith he would not have fallen deep into temptation, lose faith in his religion and became a stern bitter man.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's works are notable for their treatment of guilt and the complexities of moral choices. "Moral and religious concerns, in short, are almost always present in Hawthorne's work"(Foster, 56). Given Hawthorne's background, it is not a stretch of the imagination to say that his novels are critiques of Puritanism. Hawthorne lived in the deeply scarred New England area, separated from Puritanism by only one generation. His grandfather had been one of the judges in the Salem Witch Trials. Personal issues include the various ways Hawthorne's family and specific events in his life influenced his writing. Readers can easily recognize how "Young Goodman Brown" incorporates facts about his Puritan ancestors. Father Hooper in "The Minister's Black Veil" may be symbolically paralleled to Hawthorne's ancestors, trying to hide a sin they have committed. His descendants' remarks on him in The Custom House introduction to The Scarlet Letter mix pride in Hawthorne's prominence and a sense of inherited guilt for his deeds as judge. Hawthorne's guilt of wrongs committed by his ancestors was paramount in the development of his literary career. He investigates human weaknesses through the time period of his ancestors. Generally Hawthorne's writings contained powerful symbolic and psychological effects of pride, guilt, sin and punishment.
In the beginning of the story Hawthorne uses the name Faith for Young Goodman Browns’ wife. Faith is a symbol of her husband’s strong faith in God. Young Goodman Browns’ own name is a symbol for the innocence of young, good men, and the journey represents the loss of their innocence. Faith urges him to stay and not journey into the forest, but Goodman Brown reassures her by saying “Say thy prayers, dear Faith, and go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee”(cite) Goodman Brown believes his faith will help him overcome what the devil has to offer and while still maintaining his puritan faith. Puritans believe the forest to be inhabited by the devil and the woods in "Young Goodman Brown" are an obvious symbol of his journey into sin and darkness. Even Goodman Brown supports this idea when he says to himself as he is walking along, "There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree... What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!" As Goodman Brown enters the forest he meets a traveler who is waiting there for ...
The setting of the forest is that of darkness, dreariness, disillusionment, perhaps symbolizing one's path for the journey through life. Faith, Goodman Brown's wife, is a symbol of Goodman Brown's actual faith and purity at the start of his journey. Brown wants to believe he can live his life the way he wants, but investigate "sin," and then come back to Faith when he is ready. This is signified by the statement, "Well; she's a blessed angel on earth; and after this one ...
Goodman Brown learns many things about himself when he takes that journey into the woods, among many if his faith.
Such as those of Deacon Gookin and Goody Cloyse whom are regarded in the community as most pious and highly spiritual people. Goodman Brown witnesses the deacon and Goody consorting with various sinners in the form of dissolute men and wretches of women saying that, “It was strange to see, that the good shrank not from the wicked, nor were the sinners abashed by the saints.” (Hawthorne 458). The path in the woods representing temptation and evil to which Brown is immediately aware of stating, “There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree,” and added, “What if the devil himself be at my elbow!” (Hawthorne 454). The staff carried by the dark figure is represented by Brown as a serpent saying, "But the only thing about him, that could be fixed upon as remarkable, was his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought, that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself, like a living serpent.”(Hawthorne 453). This can also lead the reader to believe that dark figure is actually the devil because the serpent is an archetype of the devil, or some sort of evil. The pink ribbons are mentioned again later on in the story as they fall from the sky: "But something fluttered lightly down through the air, and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon." (Hawthorne 457). This symbolizes Brown 's loss of his “Faith”, referring to both his wife and his faith in
How does one define evil? It is universally thought of as bad, negative, harmful, vicious, corrupt and wicked. In all of humanity there stands an image or figurative concept of evil, differing from each culture of the globe. Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1836—enunciated a theory of symbol in his first book Nature, that retained validity through much of the century (Dunne 107). A fundamental doctrine of many mid nineteenth century American writers was a belief in the symbolic authority of nature (Dunne 107). Nathaniel Hawthorne has intended to emphasize that no single person can endure the escape from the devil’s nature in his short story “Young Goodman Brown”. Using an abundant amount of symbolism, Hawthorne
Symbolism can be found all throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. While most of the symbolism in his work may subtle, it all plays a large role in his novel. Symbolism is often defined as something, like an object, that represents something else or an idea. One may even say he overuses symbolism in his work, “The Scarlet Letter”, but the meaning of his symbols change throughout the novel. For example, the letter “A” has one meaning in the beginning, but it changes a few times by the end novel. Some of the major forms of symbolism within “The Scarlet Letter” are the letter “A”, Pearl, and the Arthur Dimmesdale.