Young Goodman Brown Free Essays

Though each character was put into three completely different situations, each one had a very similar way of dealing with his own problem. They all stuck to their own opinions regardless of how it affected each of them as an individual. In â€Å"A P,† Sammy did not let Lange talk him out of quitting his Job as cashier even though it cost him his employment (Uptake, par. We will write a custom essay sample on Young Goodman Brown or any similar topic only for you Order Now 30). He clung to his beliefs and left Just as Young Goodman did when he found his fellow town’s people assembled in the forest to worship Satan (Hawthorne, par. 6). He could have conformed to the group and joined the worship, but instead he did what he felt was right despite the fact that with leaving the forest he would lose everyone he cared for. Likewise, Old Man Warner could very well have adapted to the rest of the small towns and got rid of â€Å"the lottery,† but he believed that the lottery fulfilled a purpose and was insistent on having it though, he could quite possibly be the next villager to lose his/her life (Jackson, par. 30). In contrast to the similar ways they handled their situations, each character has different purpose for the decision they settled upon. Sammy did not quit his Job because he felt like Lange was being unfair to the bikini girls, but he hoped that the arils would appreciate his valiant efforts and he would receive three lovely ladies as a reward for his deed (Uptake, par. 31). Goodman Brown made his decision because he felt betrayed by his friends and believed that they were In the wrong. He kept his faith and deserted what he was against (Hawthorne, par. 67). Lastly, Old Man Warner was against the getting rid of the lottery because the system worked for him. He was used to the tradition and It had never failed him so he saw no reason to annihilate this well-known ritual (Jackson, par. 40). The final contrast between the characters of these three stories Is how their decisions affected them In the end. Men of Principle; â€Å"A P, † â€Å"Young Goodman Brown, † and â€Å"The Lottery† By Qualification Lottery,† and mining Goodman Brown,† Sammy, Old Man Warner, and Goodman Jackson, par. 30). Felt betrayed by his friends and believed that they were in the wrong. He kept his used to the tradition and it had never failed him so he saw no reason to annihilate this well-known ritual Jackson, par. 40). The final contrast between the characters of these three stories is how their decisions affected them in the end. How to cite Young Goodman Brown, Papers Young Goodman Brown Free Essays Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a short story in which the author attempts to convey several different messages or themes throughout the literary piece. Themes in literary works can sometimes be better understood by analyzing the piece with a specific literary criticism technique. A few of these literary criticism techniques include Marxist, Formalism, and Reader Response just to name a few. We will write a custom essay sample on Young Goodman Brown or any similar topic only for you Order Now Given Hawthorne’s style of writing and this short story in particular, a reader or critic can benefit from analyzing his work with the Reader Response literary criticism approach. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms define reader response criticism as, â€Å"a type of literary criticism that focuses on reading as an active process and on the diversity of readers’ responses to literary works,† (Murfin Ray 425). By analyzing â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† using the Reader Response method the reader adequately comprehends the themes of loss of innocence, fear and public image that Hawthorne depicts in his short story. Goodman Brown, much like the title alludes, is the main character in this story that is faced with a series of decisions that illustrates his morals and society as a whole. Using the Reader Response literary criticism technique the reader relates to Goodman Brown in his first major decision. This decision comes as Goodman Brown is leaving one evening and his wife is pleading with him not to go. Mr. Brown sets the tone for the short story and gives the audience some insight into his personality as he responds to his wife by stating, â€Å"of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee,† (Hawthorne 3). Brown then turns the focus from himself back towards his wife’s trust in him by questioning, â€Å"my sweet, pretty wife, dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married? (Hawthorne 3). The obvious reader response in this part of the story is one of misunderstanding or perhaps anger towards Goodman Brown for leaving his new wife (Faith) and flipping his decision to leave onto Faith’s insecurities. Themes and symbols become more prevalent in the story using this literary critique as the main character wanders into the woods and interacts with who appears to be the devil. The theme of loss of innocence is understood by the audience due to the fact that it was Mr. Brown’s own decision to leave his wife on a journey to interact with the devil. Another theme that is highlighted in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne proves to be the theme of fear. Fear is illustrated in the plot from the moment the main character makes his journey into the woods or forest. By using the Reader Response critique the audience picks up on the author attempting to portray the forest as a place of darkness, isolation or evilness. Hawthorne conveys this image as he states, â€Å"It was now deep dusk in the forest and deepest in that part of it where these two were journeying,† (Hawthorne 4). In this portion of the story the main character has met up with the devil and continues to walk with the devil deeper into the forest. Without using the literary critic known as reader response, the audience might overlook the fact that Hawthorne is attempting to set a tone of evil and how Mr. Brown weighs out this evil with the innocence and purity that his wife Faith resembles. Finally, the theme of public image or how one is perceived in society is certainly something that Hawthorne attempts to focus on in this literary piece. Throughout the story Goodman Brown sees several individuals in the forest that he never thought he would see or would associate with evilness. These individuals include Goody Cloyse, Deacon Gookin and even his own wife Faith. Using the literary critique discussed above, the reader can relate to Goodman Brown and almost feel what he feels as he observes these people in the forest with him. At the beginning of the story Hawthorne somewhat projected Mr. Brown as almost an outcast in his innocent community by taking this journey into the woods. However as his journey continues and he sees other individuals in the dark forest with him Goodman Brown realizes he is not alone. The reader can interpret this a few different ways. First, it could be interpreted that Hawthorne is trying to illustrate that one’s public image may not be exactly what you think it is. This also could be interpreted as the loss of innocence is inevitable at some point in one’s life. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s style of writing provides a solid balance of obvious and subtle symbols, motifs and themes to portray the messages he sends to his audience. The readers of his literary pieces can learn more by going through his short stories applying the Reader Response Critique. This will allow one to relate to the different characters on a personal level and not allow information such as time, location and economic issues to be factored into a reader’s analysis. The reader response criticism certainly is beneficial to readers struggling with interpretation of a literary work; however this is not the only method that can aid a reader. In fact, there is numerous critique methods not mentioned and can even be used in conjunction with one another to allow for greater insight. How to cite Young Goodman Brown, Papers Young Goodman Brown Free Essays Nathanial Hawthorne had a way of intertwining imagery and symbolism into one. He could put the two together to create an ominous mood throughout his story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. The focus on the use of symbolism and imagery helps imply the theme, that no one can escape sin, in the story. We will write a custom essay sample on Young Goodman Brown or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hawthorne uses this theme to denounce puritan attitudes and hypocrisy. The imagery gives off a sense of no hope for any kind of happy ending. A melancholy and sinister feel throughout the entire story. He had taken a dreary road, darken by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind. It was all as lonely as could be; and there is this peculiarity in such a solitude, that the traveler knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead; so that with lonely footsteps he may yet be passing through an unseen multitude. (Hawthorne) This is what sets the tone for the rest of the story. The images that Hawthorne writes in this passage show Goodman Brown’s character becoming a depressing figure. That is significant because with imagery that is depressing it sets Goodman Brown’s journey as more of an on purpose than a naive accident. This can also suggest that the temptation of sin is too powerful for Goodman Brown to resist. Goodman Brown met a second traveler, the imagery that Hawthorne writes of this fellow traveler is to inform the wickedness of this character. The character is not that greatly descripted, that does not mean he has no significant meaning in his person. But the only thing about him that could be fixed upon as remarkable as his staff, which bore a 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). It gives off an evil wicked feel to the traveler. Without the description of the staff then it would be harder for symbolism to portray itself in the fellow traveler. Symbolism is obvious like his wife’s name Faith. Hawthorne gives Brown’s wife the name Faith because the story is about how Goodman leaves his faith behind. The symbolism is first shown when Brown speaks to himself after he has walked away from Faith. â€Å"Poor little Faith! † thought he, for his heart smote him. â€Å"What a wretch am I to leave her on such an errand! She talks of dreams, too. Methought as she spoke there was trouble in her face, as if a dream had warned her what work is to be done to-night. But no, no; ‘t would kill her to think it. Well, she’s a blessed angel on earth; and after this one night I’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven. † (Hawthorne) Though he is literally speaking of his wife, she the â€Å"Faith† knows that he is going to fall away from her that very night. He feels that he may slip from his â€Å"Faith† just once then; he would never slip away from her again. After Goodman is further into his self-inflicting journey, he comes to the point where he gives up after he sees that the people who he thought were the strongest in their faith, falling into the evil sin of the Devil. â€Å"My Faith is gone! † cried he, after one stupefied moment. â€Å"There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is this world given† (Hawthorne). He cries this after he sees the pink ribbon that symbolizes his â€Å"Faith† float in the wind of the forest. This is when Brown has come to the realization that he has lost all innocence and cannot turn back. He has come to the realization that nobody can hide from sin. Not even his own Faith. Hawthorne had to put imagery and symbolism together to push his point of the story. He calls out the Puritans’ on their way of religion and how their attitude is hypocrisy. Goodman Brown discovers this while he is in the forest; the man who he thought had the most faith in God had fallen to sin, he himself had fallen to sin. Goodman brown does not see that as the case. For in the end when he realized that everybody sinned, he lost all faith in everything. After the night was over he was forever a changed man. A stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man did he become from the night of that fearful dream. On the Sabbath day, when the congregation were singing holy psalm, he could not listen because an anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear and drowned all the blessed strain. When the minister spoke from the pulpit with power and fervid eloquence, and, with his hand on the open Bible, of the sacred truths of our religion, and of saint-like lives and triumphant deaths, and of future bliss or misery unutterable, then did Goodman Brown turn pale, dreading lest the roof should thunder down upon the grey blasphemer and his hearers. (Hawthorne) Goodman Brown did what most puritans’’ did at the time which was stick up their nose, and had a ‘Holier than thou’ attitude for the rest of his life. He was being a hypocrite because he was judging others on losing their faiths, when he does not included his own self. He disregards that even he had left his own â€Å"Faith’. Imagery and symbolism go side by side in the story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. The focusing on the use of symbolism as well as the use of imagery in the mood helps the theme of the story to be more meaningful. That nobody, not even the pastor or one’s own faith can escape from sin. It is Nathanial Hawthorn way of showing the Puritans that nobody can escape sin, and how they are being wrong for being hypocrites, that their attitudes towards other human mistakes â€Å"sin† is wrong in its self; when they accept their own sins. How to cite Young Goodman Brown, Essay examples