Young Goodman Brown Essay, Research Paper

Matthew Kirby

COMM II

April, 5 2001

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1804. Hawthorne’s father was a merchant captain at the clipper-ship seaport; his grandfather was a judge at the Salem witchcraft trails. As a young adult Hawthorne used his childhood to help inspire him to write the story “Young Goodman Brown”. This story is filled with ironic twits from the beginning to the end.

The story is about a man by the name of Goodman Brown andhis wife Fatih, it is about his chritain values and faith ; and the town’s religuos faith. In the story all the people n the town that were held in postions high reliougs power were deemed as some ort of saints or sinless people. However one night Goodman Brown finds out orther wise that people who were leaders in the church were devil worshippers and that many f the town people were inducted into this evilitry, including his wife. This wS when he lost his religious fatih and his Wife, Fatih. Moreso at the end of the story the reader never tryul knows for sure that this even ever happened because Goodman Brown Himsefl never knew if he was dreaming or if it all was real. It ends withy his death, seen as an igsifnicant one with an unmarked tomb stone.

Hawthorne used many attributes from his child hood to wriote this story. By using some of the womane who had being real trialded and the withc trails in Salem. Also the figures of satin changing form the form froma stranger, to his grandfater, and to his father . This shows the reader that he belvies that his hertaihe and his town had more to dod with witch hunting thatn just trailing the accussed, but that some people that are held in high regards and that are alos in high held positions also may be apart of the evil that is plaguing that town.

Goodman Brown the star of the entire story, is one Hawthrone wants the reader to sympanthises with. Goodman Brown See his teacher, his Spritual leader, and counselers are all devil worshipeers. This ends a shocking ralization to the star of the story and also to the reader. It makes the reader think twice abdout what he or she really thinks is the truth and what I the absolute truth. Beit the truth about relioong, faith, life or one purose in lfe.

Another strong reliougs point was the battle between the good and evil which is portaied when Goodman baronw was about to lose his faith in the woods then a clear bule sky, and shingin unffied stars were a sign that there is a heanenve and that there are anjelic being. Another encounter of the Anjelic beings was the pale transparent lady was was suspected to be Goodman Brown’s late mother, or maybe a saint, or one in the same; who tried to ward him off and warn him not to come closer to the evil congregation. Altought he treid to save himself and his wife by looking into the heavens, he lost his faith and his wife to the evil in Salem. He would never trust any of the town folk or his onw wife for that matter.

There were several themes to this story, one of faith, one of reliogon, nad one of good veruse evil. Hawthrone expressed these themes by having Goodman Brown exposed to the evil in salem and the battle between good and evil for men’s souls.

The story was set in Salem in the 1800’s when witchery was very popular and when trying women had become something of the time. The Persecutions of accsed withces brought more evil to Salem than it casted out, and that is a point that Hawthoirne wanted to bring out in the story. The story alotuhg being told in a third person point of view, the reader still hears the conversation, like the nartoar who is looking on at the events in Salem.

Hawthrone also may have wanted some reprvee from his heritage, making this story some type of personal confession, about his forefathers wrong doings. When the persecute others for crimes they themselves commit. A point of evil begetting evil is illustrated. The ending of the story gives reason to think that Goodman Brown became very distant not only with the towns people but alos with his wife because noon knew him well enough to put a marking or a saying on his tomb when he died. Aso it saif that he died in gloom, leaving the reader wit the speculations that he never was able to find peace or retupation, about seeing all this evil and not having someone to help stenght his fatih. The Irony in the stryo is The name Gooodman Brown, suggesting that this man is uncapablae of committing sins, even thoigut he was intailyy walk,ing of into the dark woods for a meeting that was neverstated but assumed that it was the witch congreagatipn, because he stated earlier that he was about to go and do something sinful but never stated what it was. Also the name of his wife was Fatih, when Goodman Brown lost his reiliogus faith, he lost his wife Fatih to eveil. Hawthrone uses a bit of foreshawing in the story to help create suspense when Fatih does not want her husbdan to leave her side, symboliseinz that if he stayed it would be safe. However when Goodman Brown left and thinkgin to himself that he is newly wed and seeing his wife still watching him walk away gives the reader insight and reveals that something bad is bound to happen.

This story is a well written story and it stands tryue to this day but it a different text. Where theer are judges, and witches and evil, in the stryo; there are politicians laws doctors, and evne educators that are teaching, saying andinstructing to do one thing and they dop the next. This story show that no one should soley depend on anyone, or place them on such a higly peddalsta, or have great expectations from them, because when the truth is revealed it is more damging and desstrucitnve than construcing an image of perfection and purinset of that person.