Compare And Contrast Young Goodman Brown And Richard Cory

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In every society, there are stereotypes for good and bad people, in most cases there is more than meets the eye. Throughout Young Goodman Brown and “Richard Cory” many examples of this notion are clearly displayed. Both pieces show an evil side that is rarely talked about and how perceptions of said virtuous people are often misleading. Young Goodman Brown shows the hypocrisy of church members and “Richard Cory” reveals the double life of a town idol. This essay will highlight how the perceptions of people in both YGB and “Richard Cory” are greatly prominent in many communities as well as being terribly false. To begin with, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown portrays the darkness of the perception that religious people are pure. The first evidence of this evil is Young Goodman Brown himself, who appears to be a very religious Puritan, but then goes off to participate in demonic activity. When he sees Goody Cloyse, one of his own …show more content…

Richard Cory, a well known man in a town, is admired by every townsperson because of his wealth and intelligence. “He was a gentleman from sole to crown” (Robinson Line 3) He is viewed as perfect in every way. Because he was so well adored throughout his community, none of the villagers would ever expect any negativity in his life. However, the notion that he was perfect was shattered. “And Richard Cory, one calm summer night / Went home and put a bullet through his head.” (Robinson Lines 11 and 12) Richard Cory was obviously not perfect or even happy with his life, as the commoners had assumed, and he was greatly misunderstood. This shows that we should not assume that people we look up to are necessarily content with themselves or their lives, and that all that sparkles is not gold. Certainly, “Richard Cory” shows how perceptions of successful and intelligent people are often

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