Comparing Emerson And Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates the search within oneself for your truth, and that comes with the latent darkness in each and everyone one of us. Emerson explored this idea about individuality and oneself succumbing to the pressures of society, aswell. Hawthrone’s Young Goodman Brown was mainly about not surrendering to societys control, and allowing yourself to search the forest of your brain.

Some may argue that Emerson’s and Hawthrone’s writing styles are different, yet Emerson’s main concept of remaining an individual in the midst of the controlling and tenacious forces of society is what makes Hawthorne’s writing so compelling. There is one very evident difference in there writings though: what is within ourselves. The Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson believes that people are “innately pure and good”, and the Dark Romanticist Nathaniel Hawthorne contradicts that theory when he focuses on the theme of evil living inside all of us. Yet, both deal with identity, independence, self analysis, and individuality which were all present in “Self Reliance” and Young Goodman Brown.

The similarity between Goodman Brown and Emerson’s ideas are embraced by how erroneous a person’s perception may be and how things are not always as they seem. Also, Goodman Brown held his father and grandfather in high regard stating, “My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him.”, when the man that he was travelling a maleficent journey with stated, “ I have been as well acquianted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans.” This surprised Goodman brown as it reassured him that his family were not the virtous Puritan men he presumed they were. Goodman Brown hearing this now believes everyone is sinful and evil; connecting to Emerson’s idea of the loss