1. Although Nathaniel Hawthorne published Young Goodman Brown" in 1835, his story is sent in 17th C Puritan New England, a region where his ancestors held religious and ruling power. Comment on characteristics of the Puritan mind that might extend to New Englanders' outlook on the world, as expressed in the tale.
2. Comment on how Nature participates in the plot of the story (its descriptions, symbols, omens).
1)Thanks to this short story, we understand that the Puritans believed the world was divided between good and evil. They also thought that God had already chosen who would go to heaven or hell. In the story, Goodman Brown believes his community is good however during his journey in the forest, he discovers that even the most respected people have a dark side. For instance, I noticed in the text that the devilish traveler tells him, "I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman so smartly through the streets of Salem," This moment shocks Goodman Brown, revealing that even his ancestors were not as good as he believed. Then, he later hears the minister and Deacon Gookin speaking of attending the devil’s gathering, making him exclaim in disbelief, "Can this be so!" After this, he loses trust in everyone and lives unhappily until the end of his life. His final despair is captured when he cries, "My Faith is gone!" showing both the loss of his wife and his religious faith.
ReplyDelete2)Through the short story, we can notice that the forest is very important. Indeed, it is dark, scary, and full of mystery, representing the unknown. When Goodman Brown enters the forest, it is described as a "dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees," which reflects his growing fear. After some research regarding the presence of the devil's staff, the meaning would be deception and evil and it makes sense when we read this sentence "bore the likeness of a great black snake,". Finally at the end of the short story the main character wakes up not knowing if everything was real or just a dream and still insist about this scary forest "whispering without a wind" that gives us the impression of being in a supernatural atmosphere.
I think that Young Goodman Brown is useful and relevant for understanding religious beliefs and their omnipresence in the lives of the inhabitants of New England during its early colonization. Through the text, we can almost feel the shadow of evil, as if it were everywhere. We can also understand that the concepts of good and evil were directly tied to religion. While reading, I must say it felt almost like fear was always present in the lives of the inhabitants. For example, on the first page, Faith seems to sense that something bad will happen during the night, without any explanations. We could then say that the fear of evil, the fear that sin and darkness could always take power over you, is central. In the text, we see that a few of the characters who initially represent the utmost morality and goodness are also somehow connected to evil. For example, Faith represents purity, the minister represents religious power, and the old woman is a pious character. All of them are eventually shown to have a connection to evil. This revelation turns Goodman Brown’s life upside down, creating a feeling of mistrust, but to me this feeling in shared in the community. I would conclude that mistrust, fear, intense morality, and skepticism about others are key elements of the Puritan way of life, and these shape both their way of living and perception of the world.
ReplyDeleteIn this short story, we see that Puritans believed that good and evil (God vs Devil) were two extremes fighting against each other in an neverending battle, represented by the forest where Goodman Brown decides to go for. Therefore, the concept of good and evil was very present in their system.They also believed that everyone was born with a litlle "badness" inside, visible in Brown's worry about the possibility of being bad. Which also leads to constant doubting about going to heaven or hell.
ReplyDeleteTo summarize, "Young Goodman Brown" shows a world where people were very worried about being good and avoiding evil. As living in a world where you're always trying to do the right thing, but you're also afraid that everyone around you might be secretly bad.
In this short story, Nature is presented as the backdrop for all that is evil or to be considered sinful by Puritan society. Right from the start, the road Goodman takes is described as murky and gloomy ("He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest"), and the character himself recognizes that this atmosphere is rather eerie ("there is this peculiarity in such a solitude, that the traveller knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead").
ReplyDeleteUpon meeting the other traveler in the forest, we can already infer that he is, perhaps, not someone to be trusted due to his staff which "bore the likeness of a great black snake". In the Bible, the snake is used as a symbol of the Devil, so it makes sense that this object catches Goodman Brown's attention - this man could pose a threat.
As our titular character further advances in the forest, the atmosphere gets darker and darker, and Nature never ceases to be depicted as the residence for evil, as seen in the following excerpt: "The road grew wilder and drearier and more faintly traced, and vanished at length, leaving him in the heart of the dark wilderness, still rushing onward with the instict that guides mortal man to evil. The whole forest was peopled with frightful sounds - the creaking of the trees, the howling of wild beasts, and the yell of Indians".
2) Nature seems to play an important role in this short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is mainly presented through the landscape of a mysterious and creepy forest and, literally speaking, the sense of hearing is really important, since nature is embodied in frightful sounds, "as if all Nature were laughing him to scorn". Nature has a voice and can communicate through the wind, animal sounds, the flowing of the water or a storm. Goodman Brown's entrance into the forest resembles the one of Dante Alighieri in the "Divine Comedy", but there is one big difference: while the Italian poet is about to start his redemption journey towards heaven, Goodman Brown is embracing the evil side of life, since "there is no good on Earth" and "evil is the nature of mankind". This story shows Puritans' belief about the division of the world into good and evil and so the Nature can also be.
ReplyDeleteHawthorne’s story really highlights how the Puritan mindset was built on fear and suspicion. It shows how people were always worried about hidden sin, even among their neighbors. To me, it feels like that constant doubt and pressure to be “pure” ended up isolating people rather than bringing them closer to faith or community. It’s like Goodman Brown lost trust in everyone—including himself—because of that strict, fearful way of seeing the world. The forest feels alive, almost like a character itself. It’s dark, mysterious, and full of hidden things, symbolizing the unknown and the danger of temptation. The twisting trees, shadows, and eerie sounds all create this feeling that something isn’t right, almost like Nature is warning or luring .
ReplyDelete1. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s "Young Goodman Brown" displays the Puritan mindset of the 17th century. Suspicion and fear rule the story and the character's psyche: “What if the Devil himself should be at my very elbow!” (page 88).
ReplyDeleteYoung Goodman Brown views his society as the antitheses of the evilness of nature: “We are people of prayer, and good works to boot, and abide no such wickedness.” (page 89) However, this notion is false and the past of the community/Young Goodman Brown is brought up: “I helped your grandfather (…) when he lashed the Quaker woman…” and “it was I who brought your father a pitch-pin knot (…) to set fire to an Indian…” (page 89).
2. Young Goodman Brown is set in the cultural region of New England. It follows the character of Young Goodman Brown and his encounter with an evil presence in nature. Here, nature and wilderness become a character.
There is stark contrast between the domestic and the wilderness: “…after crossing the threshold…” (page 87). Nature is described in negative ways: “… the forest mocked him…” and “…dark wilderness…” (page 94). In the puritan mindset, the untamed nature is evil. It was inhabited by indigenous people who the puritans perceived as uncivilized: “There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree,” (page 88). The untouched vast nature of America was, therefore, something to be controlled. It was an obstacle to fulfil the Manifest Destiny.
The natural landscape of the wood is where Young Goodman Brown meets the devil, further consolidating the idea of an inherent wickedness associated with wilderness.
Matilde Ribeiro 161233