“Young Goodman Brown” is a story about a man who challenges his faith in himself and in the community in which he resides.
In reading this classic tale from 1853 which was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, I became intrigued first by the theme of the 1800’s with shadowy undertones of biblical evilness. Although, in reviewing the story further I noticed a certain distinctive trends of old world flare that was unmistakable. These tones are of sexism which sadly marked the time period historically to such extent in which the structured confinements of gender responsibilities.
The syntax in The Scarlet Letter mimics the previously mentioned dark yet romantic and descriptive tone of the novel. Maintaining its seriousness and formality, Hawthorne uses additions such as imagery, personification, metaphor, and symbolism to keep the book’s underlying flowery and romantic storyline. This complex writing style required Hawthorne to utilize very long and illustrative sentence structure. His dedication to detail is seen in his use of comparison to portray both beauty and ugliness. In fact, the only time we see short and choppy sentences is character dialogue and conversation. The effect that Hawthorne is attempting to create is one of dramatic story-telling. Almost over describing every aspect, Hawthorne preserves his fluidity
The setting appears to symbolize the world outside Puritan Salem, and thus, outside Goodman Brown’s capacity. The forest’s ambience triggers his acknowledgment of the true portrayal of life, embodying his fears and suspicions of what truly stands out of the norm. The path Goodman Brown journeys upon not only represents an embodiment of his fears and angst, but also as a passage of unavoidable sin and duality that later becomes the epitome of his pride’s destruction and ultimate recognition of the nature of life. During his solitary expedition through the woods, Goodman Brown also faces numerous Puritan citizens whom he originally assumes to be solely pure, such as Goody Cloyse and Deacon Gookin. He later realizes that the journey he has commenced upon is a ceremonial form of a sinful congregation; by encountering his fellow citizens, he fully acknowledges the nature of life. However, despite the fact that he journeys along the path as well, he cannot admit to his actions and adamantly presumes that he is the only one unscathed of sin as “he felt a loathful brotherhood by the sympathy of all that was wicked in his
Nathaniel Hawthorne was known for his many ways of writing including hidden messages, allegory meanings and symbolism. Nathaniel also brought back Puritan style writing by discussing religion as a main focus in his texts with everyday people good or bad, also known as religious symbolism. In “Young Goodman Brown” Nathaniel Hawthorne symbolically illustrates the dark and bright sides of characters throughout the story in order to teach the moral lesson of man and the conflict within, the hidden evil among everyone represented in the mysterious man and Goody Cloyse, Goodman's unknown past, and his unknown future with his wife.
In conclusion, “The Minister’s Black Veil” and “Young Goodman Brown” are both strongly based in religion, contain symbolism, and share a dark mood. These elements enrich the stories by conveying the important points included in each one. Hawthorne synthesizes these elements in much of his literature, which explains how these stories are beautifully woven together like a well-crafted
Have you ever thought about the concept of freedom? Freedom is a point of perspective and not a point of a state of being. This can be seen in the story comparison in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown and Phillis Wheatley’s To the University of Cambridge, in New-England. You take Yong Goodman Brown, a man living in an area and time where it is deeply rooted in their Christian beliefs. Then you have Phillis Wheatley who is an African slave who is writing to privileged white men in Cambridge. Both are planted firmly in their Christian faith and the difference is one of them is a slave, and the other one is a free man with a wife and family. Yet, after reading Young Goodman Brown, it seems that only one of them
The pink ribbons faith puts in her cap are supposed to represent purity. The color pink relates to innocence and youth. Hawthorne speaks on Faith’s ribbons multiple times at the beginning of the story making her seem full of life and happiness. Hawthorne re-introduces the ribbons when Goodman Brown is in the forest. When Faith’s pink ribbon falls down from the sky, Goodman Brown perceives it as a sign that she has fallen into the realm of the devil. At the end of the story, when Faith approaches Goodman Brown as he returns from the forest, she’s wearing her pink ribbons again, so saying that she is
Looks can be immensely deceiving, even the Bible has many verses about how not everything is really what it seems to be, such as, 1 John 4:1, Matthew 24:4, 2 Corinthians 11:14, and the ever so famous, Genesis 3:4. A warning that can be seen in both, “Young Goodman Brown,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, is that not everything that is charming is impeachable.
The Danger of A Walk With the Devil: The Consequence of Sin and Guilt in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown”
Stories with a little bit of edge but a major symbolic meaning are the type of stories in which people are entertained. In the story Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he uses imagery, allegories, and symbols to not only entertain his audience but to teach them a life lesson. This story is one where you have to dig a little deeper to really reveal the true meaning that Hawthorne is trying to portray. I believe the symbolic meaning of this story is that we all have evil in our hearts and are all victims of it.
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Jonathan Edwards wrote two different, but similar pieces of writing. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote “Young Goodman Brown” and Jonathan Edwards wrote “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” “Young Goodman Brown” is about a man taking a walk through the woods and finding something about his faith he didn’t know. “Sinners in the Hands of and Angry God” is about how a he used God in order to scare people into believing. These two writings can be compared by using three things; tone, way of deliverance, and the time.
In his short story “Young Goodman Brown” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism and imagery to show the concept of good versus evil. Symbolism is essential to literature because it helps create meaning and emotion in a story. Imagery is crucial to literature because it helps create a vivid experience for the reader. Hawthorne uses both to draw the reader in.
Sin is inevitable. Every person sins, one way or another. Sinning is impossible to avoid even with “practice.” “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne shows readers that. Goodman Brown wants to believe he is a good man, and perhaps he is; but he is tempted by sin all the same. Sin will evade or persuade a person into allowing evil in men's and women's hearts, using honeyed words and trusted people against that person.
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). Brown, like his father and grandfather, believes Indians are of the devil and views their practices as evil, yet he denies