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Ridicule In Young Goodman Brown

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Ridicule of the Salem Witch Trials Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, "Young Goodman Brown,” exhibits his deep repulsion for what occurred during the Salem Witch Trials. He possesses the readers with his emotions so they feel the sorrow he feels for the innocent people who were falsely accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. Hawthorne was personally connected to the Witch Trials because his great-great-grandfather was a judge. Throughout the reading, we see instances where Hawthorne indirectly and directly addresses the Salem Witch Trials in order to ridicule this horrendous occurrence. As a result, this short story is a satire.
The first instance we see of Hawthorne’s disparagement of the witch trials is when Young Goodman Brown …show more content…

When Goodman Brown's faith forsakes him, he willfully surrenders to sin and accompanies the sinners at the witches' coven where he sees notable people from his community. At the coven, "Some affirm that the lady of the governor was there " (57). This quote is very significant because it is a specific reference to what caused the trials to end. The Salem Witch Trials finally came to a close only when the governor's wife was accused of witchcraft and he stepped in to end the trials regardless of who was guilty and who was innocent. Hawthorne wanted to communicate to his readers how he believed the innocent were punished and the guilty were set free.
Throughout "Young Goodman Brown," the reader can identify the harsh ridicule Hawthorne has for the Salem Witch Trial and for the people involved in condemning the innocent. Hawthorne’s feelings are evident because of the many examples he uses throughout the story, starting with him communicating to his readers how he feels about his great-great-grandfather's association with the trials and ending with his ridicule of the governor. “Young Goodman Brown” is a story about faith, but it is also a

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