Next, some book 's and story 's have religious undertones used in them. While not common, comparative religion can be just as important to a story as history and symbolism. Hawthorne used comparative religion between Puritanism and Satanism. As Goodman Brown continues through the forest he comes upon a horrifying situation. “Each pendent twig and leafy festoon was in a blaze.
The analysis you did of "Young Goodman Brown" was similar to what I interpreted. I thought the pagan undertones in the story were significant because the story took place in Salem which is where the witch trials took place. Brown is told by his "fellow traveler" that his grandfather persecuted a Quaker woman and his father set fire to an Indian village. Brown responds to that news by saying, "We are a people of prayer and good works, to boot, and abide no such wickedness" (388). Brown 's attitude towards those who are different can be heard when he tells himself "There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree" (387).
In the text, “Young Goodman Brown”, Brown’s gloom and withdrawal is justified by the shocking events in the forest. This is because, during his time in the forest, be bears witness to supernatural events in which he sees that many people he knows from the path of god are in reality on the path of the devil. For Brown to be justified in his feelings, the events in question must be deemed events that were real. To start, when Brown first exited the woods after witnessing the ritual, he heard Deacon Gookin, a man at the ritual, praying.
Young Goodman Brown Analysis In Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne; Goodman Brown must conquer his internal conflict within himself in order reach a level of clarity. Goodman Brown must choose to believe in his dreams within the forest within himself or his daily reality. Goodman Brown says farewell to his beloved wife Faith. Faith attempts to persuade him to stay, but to no avail. He insists he must leave for one night.
American currencies, specifically coins, have two sides: a head and a tail. The head and tail are different, yet they are still part of the same coin. Two American authors, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne, represent two sides of the same coin: Transcendentalism. Transcendentalism swept through America as a new worldview in the 1900’s. Transcendentalism is a philosophy that asserts the primacy of the spiritual and transcendental over the material, that deals with aspects of nature.
Nathaniel Hawthorn’s “Young Goodman Brown” has peaked academic inquiry time and time again. Hawthorn spins the tale of a young puritan man who treks into the dark forest, curious, but ill at ease. He travels to participate in a strange meeting in the woods. Upon the path Goodman Brown encounters a man “in grave and descent attire” (Hawthorne 66), waiting for him. Unsettled, but not entirely surprised, Goodman Brown continues down the path with the traveler, who is later revealed to be the devil himself.
#1 Young Goodman Brown’s journey symbolizes his eye-opening of what the real world is. He realizes that the people he knew weren’t the people he once knew. At first, something that may strike a reader is the devil saying to the catechism teacher, “Then Goody Cloyse knows her old friend(80).” first showing that some aren’t who he thinks.
Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the story to explore moral and spiritual issues taking the character young Goodman Brown on a journey from innocence and faith to the dark side of distrust and evil. The elder (the devil) who carries the staff could be considered the leader in the story as he takes Brown into the woods in an attempt to lead him astray or away from faith and innocence. Young Goodman Brown makes the personal choice to go into the woods, which is an individual decision with consequences. This action led to his fall even if it was helped by the devil. In the beginning of the story, Young Goodman Brown describes his father and grandfather as being religious and having high moral character which indicates how his society values the traits.
“Young Goodman Brown.” : An Annotated Bibliography “Young Goodman Brown” is a story about a man who challenges his faith in himself and in the community in which he resides. Gregory, Leslie. " The Text of Nathaniel Hawthorne 's "Young Goodman Brown". " American Literature Research and Analysis.
In the story "Youthful Goodman Brown, the writer utilizes puzzle and tension to hold the consideration of the reader. From the earliest starting point to the finish of the story, Hawthorne drives the reader into making the inquiry, "what does the greater part of this witchcraft, mystery, and the twofold sided ways of life of the characters really mean?" The reader must not at "Youthful Goodman Brown" as only a dramatic story yet in addition see the numerous types of imagery the creator employments. Hawthorne demonstrates that a solid confidence is the best resource of a man or lady, and when that confidence is traded off, the impacts of this can make one be loaded with uncertainty and skepticism toward whatever remains of the world.