Often stories are magical and uplifting. Yet just as often, tales are tragic, downtrodden, or simply realistically portrayed. Also, on rare occasions, stories are a conglomerate of devices, messages, and harrowing trials that give a little of everything while continuing on in an almost certainly volatile direction. There are two such stories, by two different authors, which utilize this style. In, “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, there begins a seemingly innocent portrayal of protagonist Lt. Jimmy Cross. He is not so dissimilar from protagonist Young Goodman Brown, from the story by the same name, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Although many similarities can be found in their rising actions, climaxes, and right through to their denouements, they are perhaps most similar in their expositions. The differences are striking, but inevitably both stories conclude with a similar point. Countless reasons cause great and terrible changes in people, often unexpectedly.
Both protagonists are initially virtuous, simple, and unbroken. Goodman Brown and his wife are described as young and newly married. This shows in Brown’s quick pivot to kiss Faith farewell, and in her longing gaze with ribbons waving adieux (Hawthorne 553-4). The couple hoping for an expeditious and safe return, yet both feeling perturbed. Lt. Cross does not begin carefree, but he is filled with a hopeful longing. His hope is based on Martha’s unrequited love. Cross appears deft at compartmentalizing what is and what is not currently relevant. Martha’s letters carry him through the days’ obligations while he awaits nightfall and time to read them (O’Brien 684-685). He is unconcerned with her lack of affection, which reveals a childlike mind. This implies that, ...
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...duly recognized as complete self devastation due to the depravity he now sees in everyone. Cross likely expected some type of metamorphosis when going away to combat. Brown on the other hand was probably expecting a much more benign shift—if any. Both stories fabulously depict the unexpected variances and changes in mortal human lives. People may try to prepare for life’s onslaught of tribulations, but no one is able to foresee every possibility and effect.
Works Cited:
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Young Goodman Brown.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction,
Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Emily Barrosse. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. 684-696.
Print.
O’Brien, Tim. “The Things They Carried.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction,
Poetry, and Drama. Ed. Emily Barrosse. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. 553-562.
Print.
One of the first women introduced to the reader is Martha. Martha is Lt. Jimmy Cross's love interest, even though she has only ever considered him as a friend and nothing more. O'Brien's uses the story of him and his misguidedness to show how the soldiers were completely separated from the war. After the war is over, the soldiers returned home attempting to get back to their normal lives. But as was shown with Cross and Martha, it didn’t turn out that way. Trying to cope with all the death that he found in Vietnam, Cross does not believe that Martha isn't a virgin and believes that they still could have a life together. This was meant to be a comfort and safety mechanism when he was possibly faced with rejection and death all around him. It got to the point that it was all he thought about up to Ted lavenders death. Trying to rid himself of the guilt he “burned Martha’s letters. The he burned the two photographs… He realized it was only a gesture… you couldn’t burn away the blame” (O’Brien 23) This shows that he knew that his obsessions with Martha is what lead to the death of ted Lavender, and even when he reali...
Lieutenant Cross’ love for Martha’s was a major distraction during the war that causes him not being around when Lavender dies. After the daydreams that lasted until one of his soldier’s death, Lieutenant Cross blames himself for loving Martha rather than concentrating on the war. “He pictured Martha’s smooth young face, thinking he loved her more than anything, more than his men, and now Ted Lavender was dead because he loved her so much” (392). A time came during the march that everyone was invisible to Jimmy cross; only Martha existed in his fantasy world. Lavender’s death placed Lieutenant cross in a situation where he had to choose between his priorities or his fantasy about being with Martha. It was difficult to make that decision, but he chose his priorities by burning Martha’s picture and letters in order to protect his men and regain his focus for the war.
Both of these stories revolve around a lot of symbolism. These stories, since they really don't make a lot of sense on their own, force the reader to look deeper in an attempt to understand the ideas that Hawthorne tries to get across.
First, we will start with Goodman Brown. He is the main character in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story titled “Young Goodman Brown”. “Hawthorne could not escape the influence of Puritan society” (McCabe). I think that Hawthorne’s own past is and complications are reveled in his story about Goodman Brown. I believe that Goodman Brown has had a rough past and is trying to reach beyond his past in order to reach heaven. Goodman has some major problems with his wife, Faith, and everyone else in his community. I think that he is seeing everyone as perfect people, but he is having impure thoughts about himself and his past. In order to deal with these problems within himself, he is making up that everyone has this awful bad side. When he goes into the forest, he believes he is talking to the devil with looks much like his grandfather. The devil is feeding him bad thoughts about everyone he knows, even his own father and his wife Faith. Next, I believe that Goodman Brown has had a rough past and in order for him to overcome this within himself he must search for attention. This attention may not be needed from his wife or community members, I believe it is needed from him. He is feeling overwhelmed with obligations from his wife and peers that he has no time to decide whether this type of life is right for him. So, in search for the answer to his questions about life, he turns to the devil and takes his...
One way the reader can look at Lieutenant Cross, is a leader who gets distracted by his love for Martha. Martha is a woman who Lieutenant Cross is in love with while he is serving at war. He is a
...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.
The woman that Cross is in love with is named Martha. She's barely a junior from Mount Sebastian College in New Jersey. Although he is madly in love with her, Martha doesn't return the feelings back for him. This one-sided love causes him to ponder and lose focus of what is really important, keeping himself and his troops alive and well. As he is lying in his foxhole, he looks at pictures of Martha; he can't help to feel, "More than anything, he wanted Martha to love him as he loved her " As shown, he just wants to be with her and to share a love with her. Over and over again, he would think about her; sometimes in foxholes, sometimes while marching, even at times of danger. This lack of focus on the real dilemma, their situation in the war, will be a costly one.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown” manifests a duality of conflict – both an external conflict and an internal conflict. It is the purpose of this essay to explore both types of conflict as manifested in the story.
When Brown arrives back in Salem, he is a changed man. He has retained the knowledge of the sinful state of mankind, and he readily sees the hypocrisy of the so-called Christians around him.
deeper meanings than what the reader can see on the surface. The allegorical meaning is the writer’s real purpose in writing the narrative so that a lesson can be found when reading below the surface. “Young Goodman Brown”, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a perfect example of an allegorical story and is filled with many symbolic elements.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an extraordinary writer who sought to describe the Puritan values he felt was lost. Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Young Goodman Brown" is shown as an allegory of the threat essential in forsaking one's Christian conviction, even for one night. As one would assume, the story is infatuated with characters going through the endless trial of sin and guilt. There is a lack of subtlety in this theme, as the main character, Goodman Brown, hopes to accomplish something revolutionary in his travels. Hawthorne uses the theme of sin and guilt, the theme of the psychology of sin, and a nightly quest in order to display the controversies that overwhelmed Goodman Brown.
It is surprising, in a way, to discover how few of the many critics who have discussed "Young Goodman Brown'' agree on any aspect of the work except that it is an excellent short story. D. M. McKeithan says that its theme is "sin and its blighting effects." Richard H. Fogle observes, "Hawthorne the artist refuses to limit himself to a single and doctrinaire conclusion, proceeding instead by indirection,'' implying, presumably, that it is inartistic to say something which can be clearly understood by the readers. Gordon and Tate assert, "Hawthorne is dealing with his favorite theme: the unhappiness which the human heart suffers as a result of its innate depravity." Austin Warren says, ''His point is the devastating effect of moral scepticism." Almost all critics agree, however, that Young Goodman Brown lost his faith. Their conclusions are based, perhaps, upon the statement, "My Faith is gone!" made by Brown when he recognizes his wife's voice and ribbon. I should like to examine the story once more to show that Young Goodman Brown did not lose his faith at all. In fact, not only did he retain his faith, but during his horrible experience he actually discovered the full and frightening significance of his faith.
Throughout quarter three, our class has read four short stories, each one portraying human behaviors. I am comparing and contrasting two characters from “Miss. Brill” by Katherine Mansfield and “The Destructors” by Graham Greene. Miss. Brill and Old Misery or Mr. Thomas have many similarities and differences including the internal forces that affect them and the external forces that make them who they are.
end. This essay will further show how both stories shared similar endings, while at the same time
Goodman Brown does not emerge from the forest tougher or braver but hateful and spiteful because he becomes enlightened to the ways of world. He comes to terms with the reality tha...