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Dysfunctional Imagery In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

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“Young Goodman Brown” is a tale about a man experiencing evil and having his life changed forever due to the experience. While it is said that this story may simply be a dream, the progression of the events that occur leave the main character changed for life. Using a psychoanalytical approach, it can be proved that that the main character, Goodman Brown, is not who he seems to be and is riddled with dysfunctional behavior. Scholarly Journal Articles by authors Joan Elizabeth Easterly and Patrick W. Shaw can be used to provide evidence that the main character of this story displays behaviors that are not considered to be in good taste by today’s standards. Overall, Goodman Brown is a vessel of dysfunctional behavior and this is portrayed through the use of symbolism, antics, and actions that occur throughout the story. …show more content…

This article provides great insight as to why Goodman Brown has probably made some of the decisions mentioned throughout the story. This article’s main purpose is to provide possible meanings to the lachrymal, or teardrop imagery found in the story, focusing heavily on the branch that drops dew on Goodman Brown’s cheek as he wakes up from his possible dream. While this article has very powerful possible depictions of what the dew drops stand for and also debunks other possible meanings, it lacks in nearly every other aspect. If Easterly was to mention the connection with other symbols and tied them together, it would make for a much more powerful article and

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