Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown - The Puritans and Love...

Young Goodman Brown:nbsp; The Puritans and Lovenbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Hawthorne’snbsp; â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, exposes the puritan view of love and relationships. In theory, these two visions are diametrically opposed. One exalts love as a physical manifestation between two individuals (although it also claims to represent higher ideals), the other sees it as a spiritual need, one best manifested by attachment to God. In fact, the puritans did not see love as a good thing, but rather as an evil, a grim necessity, that is, they saw physical love (between a man and a woman, or sexuality and all it carries with it) as such. The emotional turmoil affecting Goodman Brown†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This puritan notion eclipses the New Testaments message of redemption that we have been forgiven for Adams fault, through Jesus sacrifice. Instead, it clings to that original notion of impurity, of a stain on all men and women. It also clings to the fact that since women are the root of all evil, they should be especially feared. A man should not love his wife, or else face the consequences of the wrath of God. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;If women are evil, and sex is evil, then men cannot in good conscience be with women, yet they must, for how else will the race continue? Puritanism condemns men to a constant state of uncertainty on their actions. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Goodman Brown is no exception, in fact, he seems to be the rule. He is recently married to a woman ironically named Faith, whom he loves dearly. He seems happily married, and yet, there is something odd with him at the start of the story. We sense he is a troubled man, and the source of his worries seem to be his wife. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"What a wretch am I, to leave her on such an errand! [...] 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.† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;He sets off on a journey into the woods, where he encounters the devil, and many people from hisShow MoreRelated Morality and Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1146 Words   |  5 PagesYoung Goodman Brown was published in 1835, when Nathaniel Hawthorne was 31 years old. Hawthorne was born and reared in Salem, Massachusetts, a village still permeated by its 17th century Puritanism. When he was four, Hawthornes father   died, and from that point on he was surrounded mostly by females: two sisters, a maiden aunt, and a retiring mother who was not close to her children. He had little contact with his deceased fathers family, but his maternal relatives were supportive and saw toRead More Hawthornes Puritanical Beliefs Revealed in The Scarlett Letter and Young Goodman Brown1739 Words   |  7 PagesHawthornes Puritanical Beliefs Revealed in The Scarlett Letter and Young Goodman Brown When an author depicts a person or group of people in his or her work, the opinion of the writer most often sifts into the descriptions, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Some writers are very guarded regarding their feelings toward any particular subject, while others are very open and happy to share. Nathaniel Hawthorne belongs to the latter group. The purpose of the majority of his literary workRead MoreThe Theme Of Faith In Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown945 Words   |  4 PagesHawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, is a coming of age story of saints and sinners. 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Though many principles from Puritan society has made its way to form the present day American society, Hawthorne might disagree and did not believe that the good attributes originated from Puritan ways. Nathaniel Hawthorne, through the works of his The Scarlet Letter and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, illustratesRead MoreThe Use of Color Symbolism by Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay1024 Words   |  5 Pagesutilize so much symbolism that it captivates the reader to the extent of paralleling the tale with their own life? The principle of symbolism is quite evident in the story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. Nathaniel Hawthorn’s work is immersed with symbolism with most of it deriving from his Puritan beliefs. The themes of sin, guilt, innocence, and lust come forth through the uses of color symbolism as well as visual clues. All of these things are dealt with in everyday life in modern AmericaRead MoreSin in Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2433 Words   |  10 Pages    Puritan doctrine taught that all men are totally depraved. And the young Puritan Goodman Brown accepted this principle, after his in-the-woods experience, as applying not only to the Salem village rank-and-file but even to his faultless wife Faith. Is this notion of sin correct? This essay seeks to compare this moral depravity doctrine of the Puritans as seen in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† to the Catholic Church’s teaching on sin, a recognized standard. The influence of Puritan religion, cultureRead MoreComparison of the Young Goodman Brown and the Rocking-Horse Wimmer812 Words   |  4 PagesSetting and Symbolism in The Young Goodman Brown and The Rocking-Horse Winner The battle between good and evil is as old as Satan’s rebellion against God and his being cast from heaven with his fellow fallen angels that the Bible tells about in the Book of Revelation chapter 12, verses 7-12. Writers of fiction have been using this struggle for just about that long. The short stories The Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and D.H. Lawrence’s The Rocking-Horse Winner illustrate the battle