Religion can be hard to define because it has different meaning for everyone and it can be a sensitive topic. Ones religious beliefs, views, and values can have a strong influence on their through and behavior. In order to understand the significance of religion to both writers, one must look deeper into what is being said in the two short stories: “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor. Though vary different these two stories share a common message concerning religion, where different point of view towards religion is established through the characters. Both authors effectively argue that the strength ones’ religious faith is depends on those around them and what their religious …show more content…
beliefs are. In “Young Goodman Brown,” Goodman Brown leaves his wife, Faith, to go into the gloomy forest to find faith, but he losses his faith because he learns that he cannon trust anyone.
He meets up with the Devil in the forest, where he is tempted to give into evil. Though he voices his fear of the wilderness, a place where no good is possible, he hold on tightly to this faith not willing to give into evil. Goodman Brown is a Puritan Christian; he has devoted his life to Jesus because he believes in God. At the beginning of the story Goodman Brown is hesitant because his “father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him” (326). He believes he is descended from “a race of honest man and good Christian” (326) since he can remember. Thus, Goodman Brown is not willing to be the first in his family to take the evil path. However, the Devil crushed his good memories about his father and grandfather by revealing to Goodman Brown that they, the father and grandfather, “were his (Devil) very good friends” (326). Goodman Brown can feel this faith slipping way, so he sits to gather his thoughts, it was at that moment he thinks about his wife and said, “It would break her dear little heart; and I'd rather break my own” (327). Goodman Brown swears to himself that for Faith’s sake he will stay true to God and avoid the evil …show more content…
ways. Furthermore, Goodman Brown faith continues on being tested when he learns that the religious leaders from his town are not as pure as he originally thought.
While he was in the wood Goodman Brown encounters Goody Cloyse, the old lady teaches kids the bible including Goodman Brown when he was young. He also sees the Minster and Deacon Gookin in the wood. Goodman Brown is ashamed and feels guilty for being in the wood, so when he “heard the tramp of horses along the road, and deemed it advisable to conceal himself within the verge of the forest” (328). Goodman Brown’s religious beliefs are established in his conviction that the people around him are also religious. This sort of faith depends on other people’s views and it is easily weakened. Goodman Brown learns from that Devil that all the religions leaders from Salam have an evil side, which is why they are in the forest. They keep that side if them concealed during their daily lives in Salem Village. Overwhelmed with all that has been revealed to him, he loses the grasp on his faith even more. When Goodman Brown learns his father, grandfather, Goody Cloyse, the minister, Deacon Gookin and Faith have an association with the devil, he to decide to do the same; due to the weak foundation of his own faith. Hawthorne uses imagery to show how Goodman Brown loses faith when “something fluttered lightly down through the air and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon. ‘My Faith is gone! …
There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is this world given’”(329). This illustrates that Goodman Brown had lost faith literality and hypothetically. He loses his wife, Faith, because he has lost her innocence, she has loses her pink ribbon due to her association with evil. In the beginning Goodman Brown’s faith and beliefs were strong, but they were weak. Hawthorne suggests when one copies the beliefs of those around him; his faith becomes weak and rootless; meaning likely to vanish. In Flannery O’Connor “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” the Grandmother sees herself as superior to others because she is a lady, this giving her the right to pass judgments on those around her. Throughout the story she is portrayed as a selfish, dishonest, and a hypocrite. The Grandmother is selfish because she is only concerned with her self and on one else. She want to look like a lady because if she dies people would know that she was a lady by the way she dresses, so she wares “a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim and a navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print” (368). She is also dishonest because she lies about plantation she had visited before to make it more interesting to the children; she did this so she could get her way. From the beginning the Grandmother Shows her true colors because she knows that her family is stuck with her whether they love it or not. Due to her lie her family gets into an accident and they are met with a detrimental fate, the Misfit a prisoner who escaped from prison. The Misfit murders the family one by one and the grandmother never once begs him to spare the lives of her son, daughter in-law, or grandchildren. She does, however, plea for her own life pretending to be religious. O’Connor shows that the Grandmother’s faith is weak because there is no mention of her religion, until she her life was undertreat. The Grandmother tells the Misfit “If you were to pray, Jesus would help you” (375) because she is trying to exploit his faith to spare her life. But, the Misfit doesn’t fall for her trickery. So, the old lady cries “Jesus! You got good blood! I know you would not shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady. I'll give you all the money I've got!"(?) She uses all the ideas she can think of but she cannot get through to the Misfit. He sees her for what she is because after killing her he says “"She would of been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life" (377). The Misfit see here for what she really is, a fake, and states that had her life been undertreat her whole life she would have been an honest woman her whole life. The Grandmother pretends to have a strong faith, but that lead to her ultimate death because the Misfit knew that she was not being honest. Both Hawthorne and O’Connor attributed religion is used as a face put on for the public. Goodman Brown had a strong faith, but he lost his faith when he learned that everyone around him are not as faithful as he thought. The Grandmother was not a person of religion, but when she faced death she fabricated how pious she really is to have the Misfit spare here life. Work Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Young Goodman Brown.” The compact Bedford Introductory to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 325-333. Print. O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” The compact Bedford Introductory to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 367-377. Print.
This was shocking for Young Goodman Brown because everyone from town who were claiming to be Christians were here worshipping the devil. The symbolic part of the story is that all people will sin and even Jesus has sinned. But in Goodman Brown anyone who has sinned cannot be trusted because they follow the devil. The devil is at the altar and a basin which is like a big bowl, but what was in it “Did it contain water, reddened be the lurid light? or was it blood?” (12). As the devil was going to mark them with the liquid from the basin. Goodman Brown yelled “Faith! Faith! Cried the husband, look up to heaven, and resist the wicked one”(12). Goodman Brown did not know if Faith had heard him. This conflict is when Goodman Brown finds out that everyone worshipped the devil and that he was the only one who had stayed true towards his religion. This is ironic because there is no one in the world who has not sinned, and for Goodman Brown to think that he is the one and only one to have not sinned is the reason it is
When he goes into the forest, he believes he is talking to the devil and 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, and he has no time to decide whether this type of life is right for him.
Religion continuously proves itself as the most resilient institution alive today; men live in its shadow, die in its honor, and torture in its name. More often than what followers would like to admit, several churches are notorious for persecuting individuals with different mentalities, as well as sexual and social behaviors. Despite the injustice, a blossom of hope continues to bud in the frigid environment. Individuals from religious factions realize that it is faith and acceptance, not conformity, which makes their institution strong. Flannery O’ Connor was a woman who saw the hate and intolerance of some religious practices and sought to change it. Her short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is a call-to-action for society because it conveys the importance of acceptance through its characters and resolution.
"Why did Goodman Brown leave his wife to fulfill an evil purpose?" "What was his evil purpose?" "Who did he meet in the woods?" "Was it a dream or was it reality?" These are just a few of the questions that ran through my head after reading the short story, Young Goodman Brown. After several nights of reading, rereading, thinking, and debating I've received many revelations of this story; one being the true identity of the "fellow-traveler" mentioned throughout this adventurous tale. You see, he was not just any man, he was the devil himself.
"A Good Man is Hard to Find" is certainly a very special story which teaches many valuable moral and religious lessons through O'Connor's explicit use of symbolism to exhibit concerns of the lack of spiritual faith and the class consciousness amongst people. We saw how O'Connor specifically used the grandmother and June Star's character to highlight the people's lack of spiritual faith and class-consciousness. O'Connor also used other symbols such as the colour white, images like clouds and objects like the purple spray of cloth violets to represent various abstractions, which is being discussed this essay, specifically issues on the lack of spiritual faith and class-consciousness that exist in human.
The short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor, revolves around the relationship in dialogue between the grandmother of the travelling family and The Misfit, the serial killer that oversees the murder of this family. Throughout the process of the grandmother attempting to persuade The Misfit not to dispatch the desperate travelers, both characters turn to religion as a means of justifying the course of their lives. While The Misfit and the grandmother are struggling to make sense of their lives and going through times of tension, they both become frustrated with what they perceive to be religion taking control in their lives. Regarding religion, this story suggests that when times become difficult it is easy for one to lose
During Goodman Brown’s journey, he recognized Goody Cloyse, his catechism teacher, the preacher, and Deacon Gookin is going to the devil’s meeting. However, after seeing his church members at the devil’s meeting, Goodman says, “My Faith is gone! and There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come devil! for to thee is this world given” (Hawthorne 27). “But, where is Faith?”, asked Goodman Brown (Hawthorne 29). As hope came into his heart, he trembled when he found the pink ribbon of his wife, Faith, in the forest. At that moment, Goodman Brown lost his faith in his family and church members. Goodman becomes unforgiving of others and believes only evil can be created from evil and there is nothing that anyone can do to change it. Here, Hawthorne demonstrates that a naive faith in our family, friends, and church member’s righteousness could lead to distrust. While, “Young Goodman Brown” lives a long life with Faith, he never loses his meanness toward humanity and the evil in the world, “for his dying hour was gloom” (Hawthorne
Young Goodman Brown is about a young, newly wedded man who leaves his wife, Faith, and to go on a journey into the forest one night. Young Goodman Brown has an innocent and maybe even naïve soul and was looked upon by townspeople as a “silly fellow” (Hawthorne 83). He is accompanied by a mysterious, older man who is later on revealed to be the devil. As they are walking, Young Goodman Brown tries to turn back several times and at one point succeeds in getting rid of the devil. However, when he sees that even his wife has surrendered to the same evil path that he was on, he stops resisting and continues into the forest. He ends up at a witches’ sabbath where he sees familiar faces of people whom he previously looked up to for spiritual guidance; he also finds Faith there and becomes devastated. In the end, he cries out to resist the devil and then wakes up to find himself alone in the forest.
Young Goodman Brown goes from being overly trusting to becoming a paranoid, untrusting man. Once Goodman Brown arrives at the destination and walks with the stranger, they start talking about Goodman Brown's family and how they had traveled down the very same road he is now, however Goodman Brown refuses to believe the traveler: “‘I marvel they never spoke of these matters. Or, verily, I marvel not, […] We are people of prayer” (621). Goodman Brown says he “marvels” at what the stranger has said and insists that his family is a family of prayer and holiness. He later says that he “marvels not’ expressing his disbelief ion the strangers statement. Young Goodman Brown's faith in his religion and that his family are loyal to his religion lead Goodman Brown to believe that they can do no wrong. He has this same reaction when he sees the minister and deacon of his village in the woods, discussing the meeting they are going to: “'besides several Indian powows, who, after their fashion, know almost as much deviltry as the best of us’ […] Young Goodman Brown caught hold of a tree for suppo...
Unfortunately, Goodman Brown truly has lost his faith. Though his wife appears unchanged and wishes to welcome him with open, loving arms Brown rejects her. The reader is left slightly confused as to why, but perhaps Brown has given up hope that good can win over the enormous amount of sin or evil out there. He is unable to accept Faith now that he is forced to see her in her unclean or imperfect state. Brown can no longer see the good for the evil surrounding him, and has lost all hope. Although Brown tried to resist the devil, in the end he failed in his journey of exploring evil and returning to the side of good.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Young Goodman Brown,” the author uses danger and mystery to represent the struggle of good versus evil. Young Goodman Brown journeys into the night and comes to realize an unforgiving truth. Everyone is in danger of abandoning their faith or is inherently evil. Nathaniel Hawthorne has filled this story symbolism, after reading this story the reader may have questions about Young Goodman Browns’ determination to journey towards his evil purpose. Nathaniel Hawthorne implies strong faith can endure but when that faith is destroyed, what view does a person have towards mankind? Let us take a look at Nathaniel Hawthorne’s use of significant symbols throughout “Young Goodman Brown.”
Goodman Brown heads into the forest for an undetermined journey. Which is assumed that he is going out to do one last act of sin then come back and stay faithful to his wife Faith. Goodman Brown 's wife Faith is a symbol for his religious faith. Before his voyage he is held up by Faith. " 'pr 'y thee, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed to-night. A lone women is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts, that she 's afeard of herself, sometimes. Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nights in the year!" ' (Hawthorne ). Goodman Brown goes on his journey in the woods and when he talks to the man that he comes across in the forest he says that he knows Goodman Brown 's family. " 'Well said, Goodman Brown! I have been as wee acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and that 's no trifle to say. I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker women so smartly through the streets of Salem. And it was I that brought your father a pitch-pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to an Indian village, In King Philip 's War. They were my good friends, both; and many a pleasant walk have we had along this path, and returned merrily after midnight. I would fain be friends with you, for their sake. '" (Hawthorne ). Goodman Brown then begins to see all of the
The main characters in Hawthorne's story "Young Goodman Brown" are Goodman Brown, his wife Faith and the stranger who accompanies Goodman Brown in the forest. At the beginning of the story Brown is bidding his wife, Faith farewell at their front door. Taking a lonely route into the forest, he meets an older man who bears a fatherly resemblance to both Brown and the Devil. Later that night Brown discovers to his amazement, that many exemplary villagers are on the same path including, Goody Cloyse, a pious old woman who once taught him his catechism, but who readily shows that she certainly knew the Devil and practiced witchcraft. With Brown still confident that he could turn back, his older companion departs, leaving behind his curiously snakelike staff and fully expecting that Brown would follow.
Goodman Brown embarks on his journey into the forest with the fervent belief that his potent dedication is indomitably ironclad, and thus will be able to overcome even the most tempting persuasions of the devil. As Goodman and the devil continue sauntering along the serpentine path, they encounter Goodman’s old catechism teacher, Goody Cloyse, and it is eventually revealed that she is heading to the satanic occult meeting at the core of the forest. Goodman is absolutely confounded at the sight of her, as he had always considered Cloyse as a moral and spiritual guide in his life. Goody Cloyse’s appearance is the first moment where Goodman begins to question his faith. Brown's illusions about the purity of his society are finally obliterated when he discovers that many of his fellow townspeople, including religious leaders and his wife (aptly named Faith), are attending a Black Mass or “witch-meeting”. At the end of the story, it is not clear whether Brown's experience was a nightmare or biting reality, but the results are nonetheless the same. Brown is unable to forgive the possibility of evil in his loved ones, and as a result spends the rest of his life in desperate loneliness and gloom.
Late one night he finds himself in the middle of the woods with the Devil, on his way to a meeting of the Devil's followers. After seeing respected townsfolk at the Devil's meeting, including his minister and his wife, Faith, he loses hope in humanity and all that he had known to be true or real. Goodman Brown wakes up in his bed immediately following the Devil's meeting and wonders if what had happened was reality or simply just a dream. Despite his confusion about the events that took place, he was unable to forget what had happened and lost faith in religion and his com... ...