Young Goodman Brown - Essay Example

Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown – Essay Outline Introduction: Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes the tools of symbolism, allegory and imagery to deliver the essence of its meaning and themes to the reader in a comprehensive manner, while, the implementation of these literary devices has enhanced the narrative it has also invited a range of conflicting analyses on the true meaning of the story. 1. Analysis of Allegory and Symbolism Allegory and symbolism in the naming of characters The forest and the Devil 2. Faust myth, Puritanism and the American culture Christian symbolism Salvation and fulfillment of temptation 3. The role of the unconscious mind as a key aspect of the narrative 4. The meaning behind Goodman Brown’s journey into the forest The spiritual state of mankind Conflict between church and state The battle between evil and good 5. The allegorical representation of Faith Faith as a fictional character Pink ribbons 6. Conclusion The tale that has been narrated in Young Goodman Brown is a representation of a plethora of emotions, understandings and feelings that individuals confront in their quest of life. However, this characteristic of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s narrative is only observable from a broader perspective because the centre of the story focuses on a notion that dictates the actions of the characters and especially those of the protagonist, Goodman Brown. As stated by Ellis Nathaniel Hawthorne’s work “is the classic American short story of a guilty conscience” (2). Through the progress of the tale the reader is invited to experience a wave of intense uncertainty that aims to depict the dilemma of the story and assist the transition of Goodman Brown’s character to the real world. Several scholars have expounded upon the profound nature and depth of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s literary work which has the ability to deliver a powerful psychological impact on the thoughts and perceptions of the audience. Levy comments on the allegorical essence of Young Goodman Brown which explores the concept of faith and the problems that are associated with a broader discussion on various aspects of the notion (375). An intriguing observation which further enhances the underlying ideologies of the story relates to the name of the protagonist’s wife. Indeed, the naming of Goodman Brown’s better half as Faith is not a coincidence or happenstance; in fact this decision of Hawthorne’s is one of the many evidences which point towards the writer’s desire to lace his narrative with Christian symbolism. Zhu identifies the naming of characters as an example of the use of allegorical devices, a comprehension of which can aid readers in comprehending the narrative and what the writer intends to project through the journey of his protagonist into the forest (58). The purpose of this paper is to examine the presence of Christian symbolism, allegory, imagery and representations of faith in Young Goodman Brown by exploring and addressing a range of questions to enhance the scope of the discussion. Furthermore, other aspects of the narrative that are analyzed in the paper involve an interpretation of dialogues to develop a conceptual understanding of their meaning and their critical role in the development of the story. According to Zhu, the first vivid representation of the use of allegorical devices is evident in the naming of the characters, for the writer the protagonist’s name appears to represent a striking contrast where “Young” is essentially indicative of the character’s innocence and inexperience while, “Brown” defines his attraction to the somber and ominous forest which is the key setting of Hawthorne’s short story (58). As stated previously, it is the name of the protagonist’s wife which comes across as striking and intriguing when used within the context of the story and what it fundamentally represents. Zhu comments on Goodman Brown’s exclamation of the words “My Faith is gone!”when he gets to know of the fact that his spouse too has ventured into the forest, the scholar asserts that this dialogue can be characterized as a pun which signifies a loss of the character’s faith (58). Levy relates of Goodman Brown’s continued resistance to the advances of the Devil to reveal that the protagonist cannot simply be considered a hopeless victim who wishes to give in to the demands of another without displaying any hesitancy in blindly following the commands of the devil and raising questions (376). At one point, the Devil inquires of Goodman Brown’s reason for arriving late to which he replies “Faith kept me back awhile” (Hawthorne 298). This dialogue can be interpreted with respect to the underlying context of the story and the symbolic meaning behind Faith’s name. Henceforth, it is not necessary that Goodman Brown’s late arrival to his encounter with the Devil was a consequence of his wife Faith’s intervention when it was in fact the voice of his inner conscience commanding him to stop and turn back. The question regarding the battle between good and evil and the comprehensions of a believer and a nonbeliever is raised by Ellis who comments that as the narrative approaches its culmination: “…Brown appears to have resisted the power of evil at the climactic moment and given evidence of at least the possibility of salvation for his wife and himself” (2). Drawing from the foundations and historical presence of the Faust myth in literary works, Zapf understands that the legend entails man’s refusal and denunciation of the everlasting pleasure that accompanies salvation for the purpose of achieving desires and fulfilling wishes that merely have temporal and mortal existence (21). As understood by Zapf, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s incorporation of the Faust myth in Young Goodman Brown is marked by the presence of the writer’s own interpretation of the legend which has been reshaped to suit his literary tactics (24). In essence, Hawthorne battled with the stark contrasts that are highlighted in the cultural representations of Puritanism and America, the latter of which saw Faust as the ultimate model of self-image which is a belief that was not appreciated in Puritan circles (Zapf 28). Zapf comments that the development of Young Goodman Brown in relation to the symbolic representation of the Faust myth allowed Hawthorne to integrate the principles and concepts of the conflicting theories to achieve a vast understanding of the “psychosymbolic structure of New England culture” (28). While, the distinct shades of the narrative highlight the presence of symbolism, allegory and imagery that have been utilized in a commendable fashion to provide significant meaning and depth to the main goal of the story, the foremost aspect of the narrative which defines Christian symbolism in Young Goodman Brown is the forest and its ruler, the Devil. Zhu defines the setting of the forest as an allegorical device which is ruled by the Devil as stipulated in the beliefs of Goodman Brown’s Puritan upbringings in 17th century Salem (59). The protagonist’s journey into the forest has been expounded upon by the implementation of varying perspectives which have governed the core of such discussions. Predmore comments that the journey of Goodman Brown is comparable to the mythological representations of these passages which essentially define the arrival of an individual into the unconscious part of the mind which is marked by the presence of darkness (250). Predmore’s analysis of the symbolism behind the forest is comparable to the examination of Zhu however; his approach to the discussion is characterized by the selection of a separate direction. Zhu suggests that the forest as an entity operates like the mind of Puritan Goodman Brown, such that the forest represents what the mind thinks (59). However, Predmore’s interpretation identifies the forest as an extension of the unconscious the creation of which is characterized by disorder, pandemonium and anarchy (251). Henceforth, the projections of Brown can even be attributed to as a journey into the unconscious rather than a physical journey into the forest which is ruled by the Devil. Despite of the recommendations of scholars such as Zhu and Predmore who have commented on the darkness of Goodman Brown’s own mind which is observable in the allegorical device of the forest and the protagonist’s temptations which drive him to his encounter with the devil in the forest, Hollinger however contradicts with these suggestions by stating that the development of the narrative is marked by the protagonist’s efforts in disassociating himself from the Devil and other demonic affiliations (381). Another set of contrasting explications on Young Goodman Brown have been assessed by Hurley who points out that interpretations of Hawthorne’s literary works have produced a plethora of suggestions that aim to expound upon the true nature of Goodman Brown’s intentions (410). While, it should be noted that a range of scholars are of the opinion that the major theme and meaning of the narrative deals with the truly evil and destructive nature of man, Hurley relates the point of view of other writers who have established that the foremost notion which Hawthorne aimed to highlight through his literary work was the conflict between church and state that existed at the time (410). Henceforth, it is believed that the essence of the symbolic representations in Young Goodman Brown reveals the chaotic nature of the time, which forced a man as innocent and as simple as Young Goodman Brown to be left distraught and destroyed by the demolition of the basic foundations of the society at the time (410). It is believed that the presence of allegorical devices in the narrative is largely inconsistent however; Hawthorne has made it unequivocally clear that the role of Faith in the development of the narrative by the utilization of symbolism and allegory is of monumental importance. Levy comments on the complexities of Faith’s characters and the suspicions of how Hawthorne intended to portray her in his story, for the scholar understands that the role of Faith has been viewed through multiple perspectives by several researchers who are yet to establish a consensus regarding her portrayal however, one observation which is evident and widely accepted is that the allegory of Faith’s character has direct connections with the foundations of the story (380). A key consideration that has been a subject of examinations on Faith’s character brings to light the symbolic meaning of the pink ribbons which are a constant part of the character’s physical description. Zhu states that the pink ribbons are a possible representation of a plethora of emotions and feelings (59). From good and evil to duplicity and hypocrisy, the repeated mention of the pink ribbons could essentially point towards anything at all however, the most likely possibility in this scenario postulates that the pink ribbons are a depiction of mankind’s spiritually imperfect state (Zhu 59). On the contrary, Levy is of the opinion that the pink ribbons are an intersection, a meeting point or perhaps a representation of Faith’s transition as the epitome of religious devotion to a participant in an activity such as the witch’s Sabbath (380). Perhaps, the most undisputed observation that can be made with regards to Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne is that the narrative is open to intense interpretation because its foundations are based on a notion which attracts debate, discussion and disagreement. The story does not only reflect on a journey into the forest or a meeting with the Devil, it in fact reflects upon the state of mankind and the condition of humanity which has faced the dilemma of choosing between good and evil since the beginning of time. Works Cited Ellis, Robert P. “Young Goodman Brown.” Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition (2004): 1-3. Literary Reference Center Web. 20 Jul. 2013. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Complete Novels And Selected Tales Of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ed. Norman Holmes Pearson. New York; The Modern Library, 1993. Print. Hollinger, Karen. “Young Goodman Brown: Hawthorne’s ‘Devil in Manuscript:’ A Rebuttal.” Studies in Short Fiction 19.4. (1982): 381-384. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Jul. 2013. Hurley, Paul J. “Young Goodman Brown’s Heart of Darkness.” American Literature 37.4 (1966): 410-419. Academic Search Complete. Web. 20 Jul. 2013. Levy, Leo B. “The Problem of Faith in 'Young Goodman Brown'.” Journal of English and Germanic Philology 74.3 (1975): 375-387. Web. 20 Jul. 2013. Predmore, Richard. "'Young Goodman Brown' Night Journey Into The Forest." Journal Of Analytical Psychology 22.3 (1977): 250-257. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 July 2013. Zapf, Hubert. “The Rewriting Of The Faust Myth in Nathaniel Hawthorne's “Young Goodman Brown.” Nathaniel Hawthorne Review 38.1 (2012): 19-40. Literary Reference Center. Web. 7 Aug. 2013. Zhu, Xian-chun. “Allegory and symbolism in Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown.” US-China Foreign Language 6.1 (2008): 58-60. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Aug. 2013. Read More