In Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Young Goodman Brown," it is very clear why some critics would choose to argue that the title character succumbs to evil itself. The best example of the impending evil in the story is the nameless figure in the forest that accompanies Goodman on his journey. The traveler's appears in the deepest and "gloomiest" part of the forest. Furthermore, he carries with him a staff that resembles a serpent, a staff that is also similar to the staff that Moses through before the Pharaoh's feet in the Bible. In addition, Young Goodman Brown seems weak-willed and timidly obeys and listens to whatever his traveling companion tells him.
The fact that Hawthorne names Young Goodman Brown's wife "Faith" is no coincidence either. In the beginning of the story, the title character appears to be distraught because he is leaving his newly-wed wife to leave her on "such an errand." Young Goodman Brown also compromises his "faith" after he becomes bewildered and falls into a desperate situation. "'My Faith is gone!' cried he, after one stupefied moment. 'There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil! for to thee is this world given'" (238). Thus, the title character's wife is a symbol of his lost faith and his giving into evil.
The setting for "Young Goodman Brown" plays a major role in the theme of giving into evil. The story takes place in Colonial New England where the society was very religiously-oriented. Even more telling of the nature of the story is the fact that the story takes place in Salem, MA. In those times, compromising one's faith and giving into the temptations of evil meant not only being outcast from social circles, but those actions could also lead to one's death. Witch trials and crusades to "weed out" persons who took pleasure in practicing evil deeds became common occurrences in that society. Therefore, Young Goodman Brown fear of succumbing to evil is better understood because he could possibly lose his life for not complying with the religious standards of the time.
Thus, it is clear why many critics argue that Young Goodman Brown becomes misled by evil in the short story.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I'm a little confused, you reference unnamed critics in your post, why not just go ahead and say you think Goodman Brown succumbs to evil. If you want to stick with talking about what critics think about the piece, why don't you provide a reference so we can read the reviews you refer to. I think your argument would be much stronger if you simply made it yourself, rather than relying on a third party.
Post a Comment