Fences (2016) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream are intriguing narratives that shed light on interpersonal conflicts that prevent individuals from achieving life satisfaction. The main characters in both plays strive to satisfy their desires, but several factors, including their hopes and dreams, prevent them from succeeding. Nevertheless, the authors send a message that hopes and dreams are critical in motivating individuals toward gains, but memories can limit or support their development.
The main similarity between the characters in the film and the play is their conflicting interests amid significant barriers. Shakespeare’s play begins with the plight of two couples caught up in a love triangle. Hermia is in love with Lysander, but his father wants him to marry Demetrius. On the other hand, Helena loves Lysander but cannot be with him because of his feelings for Hermia. In Fences, Troy and Cory can hardly come to terms with their lives because Troy has given up on his dreams and focuses on taking care of his family, while Cory has wild ambitions of playing pro football. However, the odds are stacked against them as racism and marginalization limit them from advancing. The characters’ struggles differ because the play features individuals stuck in a romantic brawl where fairies determine the outcomes. Meanwhile, the film addresses real-life economic and social issues that limited African-Americans from prospering during the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Memories play a significant role in both narratives, as Troy’s memories of failure prevent him from supporting his son, thus leading to their disconnection and suffering. On the other hand, the memories of the main characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream lead them to question all that had happened during the previous night, but they are obligated to ignore all their feelings and advised that these experiences were mere dreams. Thus, dreams are a limiting factor in Fences but promote peace and stability in Shakespeare’s play. I sympathize with the dreamers in the film and the play because their hopes and ambitions are substantial and worth struggling for. Troy and Cory seek to improve their lives and provide for their loved ones, while the characters in the play wish to experience true love. Therefore, their limitations present issues and diminish their satisfaction due to their complexity.
Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a narrative that informs its readers of the two conflicting sides of human nature. The author heavily relies on symbolism and metaphors to describe how easily good and evil can mix, making it difficult to discern the difference between them. Hence, the main lesson the author intends to put across is that people should not always trust what they perceive on the surface or judge others according to what they know because several underlying factors determine an individual’s true nature.
The events that transpired in the narrative are not actual events because of their high levels of disorganization and the occurrence of supernatural episodes that are difficult to explain. For example, the old man, who looked like Goodman Brown, had a serpent-headed staff, which later transported him to where the ceremony took place. Additionally, Goodman Brown suddenly finds himself in the forest without any idea of how he is there. Hence, the events are not logical and do not reflect real occurrences.
Goodman Brown is transformed after his experience because he does not trust others and does not want the darkness to consume his wife, Faith. Goodman is mesmerized by how the highly respected minister and the lady who teaches children Bible verses are immoral and corrupt. As a result, he avoids entanglements with these characters but is forced to go on with the ceremony and declare himself saved.
Hawthorne’s story describes the lengths to which some individuals can go to associate themselves with God and declare their righteousness in the eyes of fellow men when they are the devil’s accomplices once they turn away from the light. Puritans prioritize being in a covenant relationship with God but ignore their actions. Therefore, the author proposes that the pretense is like cancer that slowly eats away societal morality and should be abolished to save humans from wickedness.