Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell Have a Loss of Innocence

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Both “ Young Goodman Brown” and “ The Most Dangerous Game” have themes of a loss of innocence, yet each store employs a different way of getting there. The exact meaning of this loss of innocence also differs in each story. In “ Young Goodman Brown”, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, shows us a man that loses his innocent view of the world. By the end he is a man with now hope and no faith. In “ The Most Dangerous Game”, written by Richard Connell, we watch as a man falls from a powerful hunter into a savage murderer. Hawthorne tells us the story of Brown, a young man that is married to his wife of three months. (Hawthorn, pg 91). The name of his bride is faith, a name that should not be ignored. He leaves her to go to the towns communion. Along the way his faith and trust is shattered as he meets the devil himself along with other folks from his town. The climax of the tale reveals to the reader that this is not the holy communion we are all familiar with. This is an unholy witch/wizard communion where the inductees themselves are forced to drink blood. Connel brings us the story of a man trapped in a sick game of cat and mouse. The protagonist is a world renowned hunter that goes by the name of Rainsford. He is made to be the hunt of an eccentric, maybe even insane hunter on his private island. The only way off the island is to survive the hunt, and become that which Rainsford hates. Each of these tales tells the same theme, but goes about in different ways getting us to the loss. When we observe Goodman, we observe a young, newly married man. The language the story uses in the beginning gives us the feeling of youth and innocence. His wife is described as she “thrust her pretty head into the street, letting the wind play wit... ... middle of paper ... ... trap. While hiding he hears the trap get activated. The general calls out “ You’ve done well, Rainsford..... Your Burmese tiger pit has claimed one of my best dogs” (Connel pg12) Blood was now on his hands, even if it was not a humans. The final step to his loss takes place at the very end of the story, it is not even told in the narrative, it is hinted at in the very end. Rainsfield is forced to kill the general. He does not even consider himself a man. “ I am a beast at bay.... get ready, general.” He becomes the thing that he hated in the beginning of the tale, a murderer. Loss of Innocence is a classic theme in literature. Protagonists are forced into situations where they must sacrifice their goodness/what they believe. It is a theme that runs through both “ Young Goodman Brown” and “ The Most Dangerous Game”, though each of them happen in a different way.

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