An American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote “Young Goodman Brown.” The story’s setting is 17th century New England, which was predominantly Puritan. Hawthorne bases his work on the criticism of puritanism and its central premise that all people are responsible for the original sin. “Young Goodman Brown” is a literary criticism of the Puritan beliefs, which depicts historical events such as the Salem Witch Hunt.
The theme that Hawthorne uncovers in his story is the history of the Puritans after they settled in America. Some events, such as the Salem Witch Hunt, the raiding of the Indian villages, and the hatred towards Quakers, are referenced in this story. For example, the evil man Brown meets in the forest says that he “helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman” (Hawthorne 2).
The plot of “Young Goodman Brown” is linked to the nature of the Puritan beliefs and how they affect a person’s perception of self and their actions. The main character, Goodman Brown, leaves his wife to go to a forest (Hawthorne 1). There, he encounters a man with a staff that has a carved serpent on it. As the two walk through this forest, they meet Goody Cloyse, a respected woman from Salem. She, however, reveals to the man that she is a witch and travels to the devil’s ceremony in the forest. Goodman Brown resists the man’s intention to give him the staff and an invitation to visit the ceremony. However, after a while, he hears familiar voices in the forest.
When he finally approaches this ceremony, he sees many familiar faces from Salem. He and faith are invited to participate in the ceremony, but Goodman resists. The next morning, when he wakes up and returns to the village, he mistrusts everyone, including Faith. With this narrative, Hawthorne shows a man’s journey from believing in the Puritan values, mainly based on deprivation, and understanding their insufficiency.
The main characters are Goodman Brown, a man who travels to the forest, his wife Faith, and the man that Brown encounters in the woods. The man from the forest carries a staff with a serpent on it, which is a reference to the Bible’s serpent who prompted people to commit the original sin. Other characters relevant to the story include Goody Cloyse, the minister, and Salem’s citizens.
Hawthorne’s central literary device is irony since, in this story, he shows Puritans, who are very religious, as the servants of the devil. The inner dialogue is the narrator’s explanation of the details. Alliteration is used in the narrator’s descriptions, for example, “whispering without a wind” (Hawthorne 6). Symbolism in this story is linked with the references towards the original sin and the serpent. Additionally, the ceremony represents the witch hunt at Salem.
The writing style is dark with some elements of romanticism. Hawthorne uses a third person to describe the story’s details. The narrator is not omniscient because he does not disclose all components that can clarify the plot for the reader. For example, in the end, the narrator says, “Had Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest, and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting?” (Hawthorne 10). The mood and tone of the story are dark because the author describes a gloomy and dangerous forest, where the majority of the storyline happens. Moreover, the ritual performed by the people from Salem adds dark mysticism to this story. This is because the religious people from Salem have gathered in the forest at night, surrounded by fire, for a mysterious ceremony.
Overall, “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne criticizes the Puritan religious beliefs and values. The author uses this story to reference the history of the Puritans, such as the witchhunts. Hawthorne uses a dark tone to create the mood for the story. Additionally, he utilizes several literary devices, including inner dialogue, symbolism, and irony. In this story, Hawthorne shows the inconsistencies of the Puritan’s beliefs.
Work Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown. Oxford, 1987.