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In “Young Goodman Brown,” Nathaniel Hawthorne
In “Young Goodman Brown,” Nathaniel Hawthorne
2. Religious hypocrisy in Hawthorne’s “Young, Goodman Brown”
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In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “ Young Goodman Brown,” the author uses symbolism throughout his writing. Symbolism is a figure of speech used when the author wants to set a certain mood or emotion in his or her literature. It’s the use of objects, a characters name, a word or words to serve as something different, like a concept, in literature. Symbolism is always an important part of Hawthorne’s work, which is found in the names of his characters, objects, settings, and many other parts of his writing to keep you interested and gaining your attention while you read, leaving the big concepts hidden behind symbols to keep you guessing, a mystery. The forest was one of the biggest symbols used in the story, “Young Goodman Brown”, it leaves Brown questioning his faith and beliefs and even the people around him he once had faith in. The forest is described as “black mass,” the word black is used because it is
Puritanism is often reflected in Hawthorne’s work. Puritans moved to New England and created a strong presence. Hawthorne was raised in Salem Massachusetts and his grandfather was a judge in the Salem witch trial. Puritanism, was a very important part of his background, which are often questioned in his works; many of which his stories take place in a Puritan setting. Most of the stories were good versus evil in man. In “Young Goodman Brown” Brown sees the most valued and respected members of his religious community associating with the devil. He is shocked to see the people he had the greatest faith in, Faith and his catechism teacher at an evil gathering. This leads him to still question everyone’s faith after the fact. In “Young Goodman Brown”, Hawthorne criticizes Puritan beliefs, suggesting that they are more wicked that they are godly. His works show that he has faith but its not always as strong and is easily questioned by the actions of others and the surrounding around
Nathaniel Hawthorne is a nineteenth-century American writer of the Romantic Movement. Hawthorne was born is Salem, Massachusetts, and this is the place he used as the setting for some of his works: such as "The Scarlett Letter", "the Blithedale Romance" and "Young Goodman Brown". In writing, Hawthorne was known for his use of allegory and symbolism, which made his stories a joy for everyone to read. Hawthorne was said to be the first American writer who was conscious of the failure of modern man to realize his full capacity for moral growth. His stories contain much about the life he knew as a child being brought up in a Puritan society. As Hawthorne's writing continued it was filled with the same amount of sin and evil as his first writings. Evil that was revealed through his works. "Young Goodman Brown" was said to be one of the best stories ever written by Hawthorne (Adams70). "The Marble Faun: and "the Scarlett Letter were some of the other stories written by Hawthorne, and they were said to be "Young Goodman Brown" grown older. In this selection there is a question of maturity for Goodman Brown and whether he is good or evil. There is also a transition from childishness to adolescence to maturity. This short story in particular has a feeling of adultery, betrayal, and deception as in some of his other works. It was said by Richard P. Adams that "young Goodman Brown" was a germ for nearly all his best work that followed (Adams 71).
The puritan roots that ran in the northeastern part of the country was a way that Hawthorne used to show his underlying messages in many of his works. However, as opposed to the previous works that the country produced, Hawthorne’s used the puritan religion as a means to an end, not as an example or testimony of how to live. A keen example of this is in Hawthorne’s 1835 work, “Young Goodman Brown.” The symbolism is evident as first simply from the title. Hawthorne is attempting to write a story about a young, good man, creating this persona by creating the image of a devout person, first hinting at this through his location, Salem (Hawthorne 87). Salem is the location of the witch trials that Hawthorne’s ancestors were a part of, and from this location Hawthorne is showing that Brown is a puritan, but also that he is a part of a society that can lose sight of their shortcomings. This is something that would not be evident in earlier American writings. Writing about the shortcomings of devout people was not widely recognized as religion to these people was life
In "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne analyzes the Puritans’ consciousness and the hidden wickedness of their nature. He takes a naïve Puritan man and takes him on a journey into the dark forest to meet an old man whom we presume, is the devil. As the naïve Puritan embarks on his journey, his wife "Faith" kisses him good bye. The Puritan has an overwhelming feeling of guilt as he is entering the forest to meet with the Devil. He realized what he is doing was forbidden and none of his forefathers or fellow Puritans would ever commit such a sin. During his meeting with the Devil his naïveté dissolves. He sees Deacon Gookin, his old catechism teacher, and other upstanding members of the community, whom he looked up to and feared, dancing around the Devil’s fire. He is told that the Devil has helped his father and Grandfather in years past. His innocence is completely destroyed when he sees his own wife Faith dancing around the Devils circle . He screams in agony: "My faith is gone. There is no good on earth; and sin is but 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.
Now for another example from The Scarlet Letter, the rosebush. Hawthorne symbolizes the rosebush as “a sweet moral blossom.” In The Scarlet Letter(Hawthorne Pg #55), it states, “we could hardly do otherwise but pluck one of its flowers and present it to the reader. Let it hope to represent a sweet moral blossom that may reveal the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow.” Thus meaning that it could serve as a lesson to be learned by the reader. Symbolism not only can be difficult to understand, but difficult to portray. The rosebush could be both, but Hawthorne does a good job portraying the
Nathaniel Hawthorne's works are notable for their treatment of guilt and the complexities of moral choices. "Moral and religious concerns, in short, are almost always present in Hawthorne's work"(Foster, 56). Given Hawthorne's background, it is not a stretch of the imagination to say that his novels are critiques of Puritanism. Hawthorne lived in the deeply scarred New England area, separated from Puritanism by only one generation. His grandfather had been one of the judges in the Salem Witch Trials. Personal issues include the various ways Hawthorne's family and specific events in his life influenced his writing. Readers can easily recognize how "Young Goodman Brown" incorporates facts about his Puritan ancestors. Father Hooper in "The Minister's Black Veil" may be symbolically paralleled to Hawthorne's ancestors, trying to hide a sin they have committed. His descendants' remarks on him in The Custom House introduction to The Scarlet Letter mix pride in Hawthorne's prominence and a sense of inherited guilt for his deeds as judge. Hawthorne's guilt of wrongs committed by his ancestors was paramount in the development of his literary career. He investigates human weaknesses through the time period of his ancestors. Generally Hawthorne's writings contained powerful symbolic and psychological effects of pride, guilt, sin and punishment.
The setting of the forest is that of darkness, dreariness, disillusionment, perhaps symbolizing one's path for the journey through life. Faith, Goodman Brown's wife, is a symbol of Goodman Brown's actual faith and purity at the start of his journey. Brown wants to believe he can live his life the way he wants, but investigate "sin," and then come back to Faith when he is ready. This is signified by the statement, "Well; she's a blessed angel on earth; and after this one ...
In “Young Goodman Brown” Hawthorne uses the hypocritical nature of Young Goodman Browns neighbors and friends to show the hypocritical nature of the puritan people. In the story, Young Goodman Brown is led by the devil to a witching party in the woods. At the witching party he sees all the people he thought to be honorable and pious. He sees his minister, and Goody Cloyse, the woman who taught him his catechisms, meeting with the devil. He even sees his wife about to join the commune but doesn’t see whether she does or not because he resists the devil and wakes up by a tree. After witnessing these things in the woods Young Goodman Brown can’t look at the people he loved and looked up to in the same way anymore. He becomes a bitter and distrustful old man because of their hypocr...
The confusion which the dark woods create for Goodman Brown symbolizes the blindness Goodman Brown has to the Puritan town’s corruption and evil. The beginning of his journey the readers acknowledge that Goodman Brown, “had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest of trees of the forest” (Hawthorne 261). The willingness which Goodman Brown has to take a dark and gloomy road symbolizes the willingness for Goodman Brown to stay blind to all that is going on throughout the town. The woods themselves being darkened and gloomy suggests the secrets that are hidden and if found could lead to great sadness. Since Goodman Brown is blind to the evil rituals that occur in the woods and his willingness to go into the woods, his actions suggest that Goodman Brown is living in a false sense of security. While walking through this dark and gloomy road, Goodman Brown and the traveler come across Goody Cloyse. During this instance the traveler’s walking stick becomes full of life and Goody Cloyse disappears soon after (Hawthorne 264). This situation with the walking stick in the woods shows the reader that the woods hold the truth and Goodman Brown’s obscurity of the truth. Continuing on his journey, Goodman Brown finally comes to the clearing. In that moment Goodman Brown, “Stepped forth from the shadow of the trees” (Hawthorne 269). As Goodman Brown does this he is awakened to the complete truth of the town. He sees the congregation, the supposedly holy people, his wife who was pure and innocent, and the ritual. Goodman Brown has emerged from his comforting darkness and out into the clarity that would separate the truth and the façade that the townspeople had made for the town. The moment in which he steps out, however, is when the Deacon asks for the new converts to come out (Hawthorne 269). This signifies a natural attraction to the area
In the beginning of the story Hawthorne uses the name Faith for Young Goodman Browns’ wife. Faith is a symbol of her husband’s strong faith in God. Young Goodman Browns’ own name is a symbol for the innocence of young, good men, and the journey represents the loss of their innocence. Faith urges him to stay and not journey into the forest, but Goodman Brown reassures her by saying “Say thy prayers, dear Faith, and go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee”(cite) Goodman Brown believes his faith will help him overcome what the devil has to offer and while still maintaining his puritan faith. Puritans believe the forest to be inhabited by the devil and the woods in "Young Goodman Brown" are an obvious symbol of his journey into sin and darkness. Even Goodman Brown supports this idea when he says to himself as he is walking along, "There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree... What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!" As Goodman Brown enters the forest he meets a traveler who is waiting there for ...
The use of dark imagery throughout the story gives you a sense of fear of the unknown that lies ahead of Goodman Brown on his journey. The beginning sentence of the story illustrates an image of a sunset and the approaching of night as Goodman Brown sets off on his mission. ?Young Goodman Brown came forth, at sunset, into the street of Salem village, but put his head back, after crossing the threshold.? (196) Here, the light of the sun represents the knowledge that Goodman Brown already has. The imagery of darkness setting in is the unknown knowledge Goodman Brown is out to discover. Goodman Brown must first travel through the darkness of the unknown before he reaches the light of enlightenment and truth that is why he is embarking on his journey throughout the night hours. ?My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done ?twist now and sunrise.? (197)
Through the work of "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne is able to express his views of hypocrisy in Puritanism. Goodman Brown was convinced that his Puritan family was sinless and deserved to be honored. When traveling through the forest he says, "My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him. We have been a race of honest men and good Christians since the days of the martyrs" ("Young Goodman Brown" 238). What Goodman Brown does not know is that his previous generations have taken part in these sinful actions that occurred in the woods. Although Brown's ancestors were supposedly righteous Puritans, they were involved in lashing a Quaker woman and setting fire to an Indian village, according to the traveler speaking with Brown. Through these stories that the traveler tells, Hawthorne makes known to his readers that Puritan's are hypocrites because they say they are holy and pure when in reality they are committing impious actions. Throughout this story Young Goodman Brown takes his journey through the woods and sees nearly eve...
Such as those of Deacon Gookin and Goody Cloyse whom are regarded in the community as most pious and highly spiritual people. Goodman Brown witnesses the deacon and Goody consorting with various sinners in the form of dissolute men and wretches of women saying that, “It was strange to see, that the good shrank not from the wicked, nor were the sinners abashed by the saints.” (Hawthorne 458). The path in the woods representing temptation and evil to which Brown is immediately aware of stating, “There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree,” and added, “What if the devil himself be at my elbow!” (Hawthorne 454). The staff carried by the dark figure is represented by Brown as a serpent saying, "But the only thing about him, that could be fixed upon as remarkable, was his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought, that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself, like a living serpent.”(Hawthorne 453). This can also lead the reader to believe that dark figure is actually the devil because the serpent is an archetype of the devil, or some sort of evil. The pink ribbons are mentioned again later on in the story as they fall from the sky: "But 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." (Hawthorne 457). This symbolizes Brown 's loss of his “Faith”, referring to both his wife and his faith in
Goodman Brown learns many things about himself when he takes that journey into the woods, among many if his faith.
Symbolism can be found all throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. While most of the symbolism in his work may subtle, it all plays a large role in his novel. Symbolism is often defined as something, like an object, that represents something else or an idea. One may even say he overuses symbolism in his work, “The Scarlet Letter”, but the meaning of his symbols change throughout the novel. For example, the letter “A” has one meaning in the beginning, but it changes a few times by the end novel. Some of the major forms of symbolism within “The Scarlet Letter” are the letter “A”, Pearl, and the Arthur Dimmesdale.