...Hawthorne’s Life through Symbolism Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American writer who is very well known for his use of symbolism. In many of Hawthorne’s short stories, he uses symbolism to express the conflicts he faced within his life. Some of these short stories include “Young Goodman Brown,” “Minister’s Black Veil,” “The Birthmark,” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” Within his work, Hawthorne tells great tales where each character faces a different issue in which they must make a decision such as one’s that Hawthorne had to make. Some decisions Hawthorne made in his very own life were his families’ beliefs of Puritanism and if he should follow their beliefs, conflicts with learning about his father and grandfather, marrying his wife, and how he remained isolated, a recluse, away from the world. In “Young Goodman Brown,” Hawthorne uses symbolism to tell the story of a young man who goes on a journey from his innocent world into an evil world. In the beginning of the story the reader is introduced to two characters, Young Goodman Brown and his wife, Faith. Hawthorne uses their names as the first piece of symbolism, Young Goodman Brown means a young man, who is good natured, and his last name “Brown” also means he is dull and just blends in the background. Morgan 2 Brown is married to Faith, whose name is also symbolic. Faith’s name is used as not only Goodman Brown’s wife, but it is also used as his faith. This is shown when he says, “My love and my Faith,” (Young Goodman Brown, 58), using...
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...well-known throughout American literature is Hawthorne’s, Young Goodman Brown. Here, the reader is exposed to Hawthorne’s use of symbolism and ambiguity. Like The Scarlet Letter, the setting also took place in Salem. As Goodman Brown says his farewells to his wife, Faith, she is worried about being left alone while her husband embarks on a journey into the woods. Brown encourages his wife to say her prayers, as it will prevent her from any harm or evil. Throughout the story, one can notice the various symbols being portrayed with Brown and how he connects with God. Faith’s pink ribbons are one particular symbol that seemed to alter Brown’s own beliefs. Before the reader is introduced to Faith and Brown’s situation, we can see the images that are being illustrated at the beginning of the story....
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..."Young Goodman Brown" tells the tale of a young Puritan man drawn into a covenant with the Devil. Brown's illusions about the goodness of his society are crushed when he discovers that many of his fellow townspeople, including religious leaders and his wife, are attending a Black Mass. At the end of the story, it is not clear whether Brown's experience was nightmare or 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. Though a work of fiction, "Young Goodman Brown'' is widely considered to be one of the most effective literary works to address the hysteria surrounding the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Hawthorne is also remembered for helping to establish the short story as a respected form of literature and as a proponent of instilling morals and lessons into his writing. Source: Short Stories for Students, ©2012 Gale Cengage. "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne chronicles the disturbing dream of a young Puritan man in Salem. In the dream, Goodman Brown comes face to face with evil and is forced to examine the nature of evil in man. He is disgusted by the evil he encounters, not realizing his own involvement. Through a psychoanalytic approach to analyzing the text, the reader can see that the meaning of the text lies in discovering the meaning of Goodman Brown's encounter in the woods. The story begins with Goodman Brown...
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...In contrasting Young Goodman Brown with “Girl” we can make a contrast in two different types of culture. Goodman Brown obviously has his culture developed around his Puritan beliefs whereas the Mother appears to have a unique culture from a certain time and location as well. Goodman Brown’s Puritan faith however proves to be quite shaky; anyone can change his mind as revealed by his impressionist ways when encountering the devil. It also can be the case that the Puritan faith may have not always been pure; this is revealed when the Devil takes note that he was present when Goodman Brown’s father and forbearers whipped Quakers and destroyed Indian villages, shedding light on the dark past of the Puritan ways. In Girl, the culture is developed...
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...his uncharacteristically dark short story, Young Goodman Brown. Hawthorne does this mainly through symbolism. There is an abundance of symbols throughout the tale. These range from hair ribbons to colors and names. Regardless of specifics, these symbols allow a plentiful amount of space for personal interpretation, but one conclusion that no reader can miss is the fact that Goodman Brown is fighting desperately between two opposing forces. Through the use of symbols throughout the short story, Hawthorne allows for the assumption that there is a constant battle between good and evil that is on occasions incomprehensible to distinguish between. Some readers might find it plausible that the use of names and colors have no influence on the story and are completely by coincidence. However, to say that it was random assignment of the chosen names and colors – Goodman Brown, Faith, black and pink – is to not give full credit to Hawthorne’s talent and intentions. These devices have a tremendous impact on the story as a whole. If the names were not what they were, then the story could be taken in a whole opposite direction. It would all be based on personal interpretation. Because Hawthorne chose the names and colors that he did, readers are able to distinguish the theme that he is trying to convey, that is of, as previously stated, the battle between good and evil. Readers may not comprehend at first the evil within Goodman Brown’s companion in the forest until the staff is brought...
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...The world today has faced many trials and tribulations. It is quite similar to the two short stories ‘Young Goodman Brown” and “The Lottery.” In these stories, characters are faced with situations beyond their own imagination and to makes things worse is how they are tested. They will encounter people and other things that are unjust. These stories bring a lot of comparisons such as the setting of the stories, but mostly there are contrasts such as the symbolism within the stories and the meaning each author put behind their stories. In comparing the two short stories “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Lottery,” it is easily noticed that both of these stories takes place well within the community setting. Each story has the involvement of the people who lives within the town. Details in the story showcase how the communities makes the characters feel accepted one way or another to a certain extinct. Within these communities, each has their own traditions, laws, and perimeters that justify the reasoning behind what they do. In turn it kind of makes these communities have a sense of uniqueness to them and that is why individuals are pulled in and want to be part of these communities. In addition, both of these stories showcase a sense of a happy ambience and exuberance. In “The Lottery,” the author, Shirley Jackson illustrates a perfect day by stating “The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with a fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely...
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...Compare and Contrast “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Lottery” By: Melissa A. Reeves Professor Andrew Smith ENGL 102-B46 LUO Thesis Statement The stories “The Lottery” and “Young Goodman Brown” both appear to show that human behavior and judgment can be flawed, even if the person’s intentions appear good to them. There is a level of fear and underlying evil in Puritan settings in both stories. I. Introduction/Statement of Thesis II. Themes and Author’s Purpose A. The Lottery i. Just because something has always been done, does not make it right or just; following the crowd can be dangerously wrong and evil. ii. The author shows through symbolism and storytelling that people can be easily influenced by society and those around them. iii. Also, the themes or persecution is addressed. B. Young Goodman Brown i. The theme is that believing that you are a righteous person does not always make you righteous. ii. The idea of doing one evil thing, but justifying it because it is only one time and he will never do it again and will be a good man afterward is addressed. III. Conclusion Symbolism found within “The Lottery” and “Young Goodman Brown” Melissa A. Reeves Liberty University Professor Andrew Smith 08/03/2014 Symbolism is found within both stories “The Lottery” and “Young Goodman Brown”. In both stories, symbols help in conveying the theme to the reader. In Shirley Jackson’s...
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...A Comparison of Symbolism in “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Lottery” Symbolism is when the author uses an object or reference to add deeper meaning to a story. Symbolism in literature can be subtle or blatant; it can also be used sparingly or considerably. An author may repeatedly use the same object to convey deeper meaning or may use variations of the same object to create an overarching mood or feeling. Many authors use symbolism to further foretell and capture the important elements of the story. Both Nathaniel Hawthorne in “Young Goodman Brown" and Shirley Jackson in “The Lottery’, use symbolism in these short stories. The stories both contain symbols describing evil. Hawthorne’s symbolism describes good versus evil, while Jackson's symbolism reflects the evil nature within society as a whole. The first two characters that Hawthorne introduces, Young Goodman Brown and his wife Faith, are both symbolic in their names. Brown's name symbolizes youth and good nature. Brown is a young man throughout the story, and his youth suggests that he has yet to be corrupted by the world and is still innocent. Hawthorne writes, "Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons on her cap, while she called to Goodman Brown" (Hawthorne 331). Faith’s name symbolizes the trust and virtue that is found within a good wife. It may also hint at the faith that Young Goodman Brown struggles to hang Haney 2 onto. As...
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...Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and Thomas Wolfe’s “The Child by Tiger” show many similarities in each stories structure. Even though they were written in different time periods as well as different cultures, there is a unity in their conflicts, themes, and author’s purpose. Good and evil both exist in the world. Humans are good natured, but occasionally, evil is known to show up. Experiencing something tragic for the first time can be confusing and traumatizing. Two stories that illustrate young men dealing with evil are Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and Thomas Wolfe’s “The Child by Tiger.” The protagonists of each story, Brown and Spangler, deal with the evils of this world but in different ways. Brown lets the evil take over his faith and beliefs while Spangler comes to an understanding that human beings can be both good and evil. "Young Goodman Brown," is a short-story of tragedy and personal loss. Hawthorne reveals the power of betrayal and the unsurmountable fear of evil. In this case, the source of these is the very foundation of a young man's faith. "Young Goodman Brown" is both memorable and perplexing because it is partially the story of Hawthorne's own self-discovery and a strong condemnation of the rigid fundamentalist system of belief that forms the core values of America to this very day. Unlike Washington Irving's earlier thriller, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," where the terror is ghostly and headless, Hawthorne unveils the murky dark...
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...English II composition The Fall of Good Men “My love and my faith”, replied young Goodman Brown, “of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee” (Hawthorne 158). Hawthorne gives a very small and at first unnoticed hint in one of the very first sentences. Although undersized, the hint is showing a bigger picture, and underlines how the rest of his story will unfold. Since the story is filled with so much controversy surrounding Faith, and the loss of the one thing a man needs most, it’s a very effectively utilized allegory. Deception, corruption, and sheer hate cause complete and utter destruction, which is what Young Goodman Brown found himself bound by. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story is not just another problematic tale that gets your mind ruminating. With all of the detailed symbols and metaphors used by Hawthorne, it takes time to see that his story has significant ties to several Biblical narratives. It embodies the chronicles of mans fall, and his separation from God and faith. This story bleeds symbolism, even the most clear cut things like Young Goodman Brown’s name has a meaning behind it. Hawthorne didn’t just use any old name, he put meaning behind it. Young Goodman Brown symbolizes youth and good nature. Brown is a young man throughout the story, and his youth suggests that he has yet to be corrupted by the world and is still innocent. Browns wife Faith undoubtedly symbolizes actual faith in God; just as God is with us, during Browns journey in the...
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...In what ways are the short stories, "Young Goodman Brown", by Nathaniel Hawthorne and "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D. H. Lawrence similar and different; this will be the main focus of this paper. The two stories and their two main characters may seem to have nothing in common, but, this paper will strive to present some points of similarities and differences. "Young Goodman Brown" is an allegory. Its theme is ingrained with sin, guilt, and evil of humans that evolved from the forefathers. On the other hand, "The Rocking-Horse Winner" is a fairy tale with some component of fable. The story speaks about human views on love and money. D.H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking Horse Winner” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown is filled of deceit on both the physical and spiritual elements of life. The theme is revealed through irony, symbolism and allegory. Proverb 26 speaks about how deceit in one's heart no matter how long it takes, that deception will eventually be exposed. The manifestation of this is apparent in both stories. There are also sense of love, fear, and pride seen in both stories. Meanwhile, consider some of the similarities and differences of the two main characters in these story. From the moment he steps into the forest, Goodman Brown voices his fear of the wilderness, seeing the forest as a place where no good is possible. Goodman Brown, like other people in Salem associates the forest with the wild “Indians” and sees one hiding behind every tree. He believes...
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...1. How are the names Goodman Brown and Faith symbolic to the meaning of the story? List two other symbolic words used and give your interpretation of them? First, the story of “Young Goodman Brown” is a story that is a symbolic representation of religious faith in our world. Therefore, in the story, Goodman Brown is a symbol of the everyday man or even mankind as a whole. He portrays the struggle that humans have in seeking faith and belief in a God or higher power that we as people sometimes try to strive to serve or obey. He is just a simple human being with both the capability for either good and evil depending on his choices throughout the book. Faith, on the other hand, is a representation of serenity or peace we have when we are holding true to those beliefs and not allowing the evil or doubt in our life to sway our belief in God. Faith is not based on what our eyes see or that we can confirm it is simply a belief that we have chosen to believe as true regardless of any evidence to the contrary. There are other examples of symbols used in this story. One of the other symbols is the pink ribbons used through the entire story. They can be seen as the human struggles that we have with faith. Sometimes we have faith, sometimes we struggle to believe, and sometimes we can no longer believe in it anymore and these pink ribbons are used to show that struggle within the story. The last symbolic example I will use is that...
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...Insanity is one of the topics widely discussed by many writers. The definition of insanity is “not sane; not of sound mind; mentally deranged” (Dictionary.com). In “The Yellow wall Paper” by Charlotte Gilman, “Young Goodman Brown” By Nathaniel Hawthorne, and “A Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Poe insanity is the most prevalent theme. Each story takes place in a prison like environment and each protagonist is suffering from a form of insanity. The story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman takes place in the late 19th century , which anchors it in a very specific historical moment in terms of women and their perceived abilities. The narrator and her husband John are renting a beautiful, isolated estate for the summer. The narrator says the house is “The most beautiful place! It is quite alone, standing well back from the road, quite three miles from the village. It makes me think of the English places that you read about. For there are hedges and walls and gates that lock, and lots of separate little houses for the gardeners and people” (Gilman pg.552). It’s a fancy house but more saliently, it stands back away from the road and contains many "locks" and "separate little houses." Overall, this is a very isolating place. It’s separate from the road and therefore could be considered separated from society; the house itself is described as a place that binds and restricts. Within the house the narrator is primarily confined to a “big, airy room….with windows that...
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...Elizabeth Cady Stanton Biography: Where did Elizabeth Cady Stanton grow up? Elizabeth Cady was born in Johnstown, New York on November 12, 1815. She had 10 brothers and sisters, however, many of them died during childhood. Only Elizabeth and four of her sisters lived well into adulthood. Her last brother, Eleazar, died when he was 20 years old leaving her mother depressed and her father wishing that Elizabeth was a boy. Elizabeth (sitting) with Susan B. Anthony Not Fair for Women Growing up Elizabeth was exposed to the law through her father Daniel. He was a lawyer who also served as a judge and a U.S. Congressman. She learned that the law was not the same for men and women. She learned that only men could vote and that women had few rights under the law. She didn't think this was fair. She thought she was as good as any boy and should be given the same opportunities. Going to School When Elizabeth reached school age she wanted to go to school to learn. Not many women went to school in those days, but her father agreed to send her to school. At school Elizabeth was an excellent student. She won awards and proved that she could do as well or better than most of the boys. After high school, Elizabeth wanted to go to college. She quickly learned that girls were not allowed into the major universities. She ended up going to a college for girls where she was able to continue her studies. Abolitionist and Human Rights Elizabeth began to believe...
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...Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” Goodman Brown was not asleep in this short story. As I read, I believed that Goodman did indeed meet the devil in the forest. If he had indeed dreamt about the trip he was sent on and meeting the devil, I think his nervousness would have been described in more detail then it was. Concentrating more on the anxiety he was feeling would have led the reader to believe that the events were not real. I also saw this story as an allegory. I saw the allegory after reading the story two times. I think it is centered on Goodman Brown having a bumpy past and that he wants to go beyond his past and reach heaven. The characters names also show the religious allegory in the story. The names Goodman and Faith are used and the characters are then soon faced with terrifying evil. I think that Goodman Brown and his wife, Faith’s names symbolize that they are good, religious people and that Goodman is making up everyone being evil in his head. I found an essay by Alexa Carlson that described the symbolism in light vs. dark, forest vs. town, nature vs. human, and fantasy vs. reality. In her paper, Essay #1: Young Goodman Brown, she states that “…fantasy vs. reality are employed to reinforce the idea that good and evil have been set up as strict categories into which no one, not even the religious figures of the community, fit neatly.” As she later writes, if Hawthorne was apprehensive about “what he considers right and wrong in terms of human behavior, I...
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