Salem Witch Hunt and Nathaniel Hawthorne - Essay Example

?Salem Witch Hunt and Nathaniel Hawthorne In 1692 and 1693, many towns across colonial Massachusetts felt the devastation of the Salem Witch Hunt. Approximately two hundred people were involved in the witch hunts, either being accused of engaging in witchcraft or being put to death for being found guilty of practicing the dark religion, even though many of these people were found to be innocent after the episode. Almost a century and a half later, in 1835, Nathaniel Hawthorne penned his “Young Goodman Brown,” a short story that takes place during the infamous witch hunt. As such, the events of the Salem Witch Hunt greatly influenced the creative mind of Hawthorne, providing him with historical information that he was able to combine with his own creativity, constructing a unique point of view into those horrific times. One of the major inspirations that the Salem Witch Hunt had on Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” was the connection that Hawthorne himself had with some of the people involved in the witch hunt. One of Hawthorne’s distant relatives on his father’s side, John Hathorne, was the primary judge in the accusing and condemning of supposed witches throughout the hunt and in the trials that proceeded (Moore 37-38). Knowing that Hawthorne was related to some of the people involved in the hunting of these people, Hawthorne wanted to learn all that he could about the events. The research that ensued resulted in Hawthorne compiling ideas, all of which were drawn from historical sources, for what would eventually become “Young Goodman Brown”. Similarly, being related by blood to some of the witch hunt’s lead players, Hawthorne felt a connection, though rather detached, with the mass hysteria that the witch hunt brought. Hawthorne essentially wanted to have an involvement in the historical event, and this prompted him to write. Hawthorne’s blood ties to the Salem Witch Hunt allowed him to be more intimate with his short story and its characters. By looking at records that were kept during the time of the witch hunt, such as those that dealt with the judges and the lives of those accused of witchcraft and then condemned, Hawthorne was able to submerge himself into a unique story that played on fiction while remaining true to historical facts. In a sense, Hawthorne was able to live out the trials though the protagonist of his short story, Goodman Brown; this act was able to be undergone due to the records and the familial connections that Hawthorne possessed. Hawthorne, through his resources and then through his characters, was able to shed new light on what took place during the witch hunt. The fact that Hawthorne had access to such astounding resources is part of what influenced his writing of the short story. Without the resources, the story, if at all written, would have just been another piece of fiction. Hawthorne also used the names of many of the condemned witches for his short story, which further connects his fiction with the great historical event. The names that Hawthorne used were found in the records and other documents that contained the names of people that were being tried for practicing witchcraft. Again, given the fact that one of his own relatives played a vital role in the witch hunt, Hawthorne was influenced by this personal connection of having known someone, which prompted him to use the names of real suspects. This would make the fictional story seem more lifelike, giving it an element of reality. By doing this, despite the fact that the short story was indeed fictional, the use of suspects’ real names gives the story some truth to it. Though Hawthorne was unable to witness the events of the witch hunt, including the rituals performed by the witches that he elaborated on in “Young Goodman Brown”, he was able to add to history by combining his own creativity with the historical facts that he already had. Hawthorne had been inspired by the facts of history, more specifically the names of the suspects, and combined them with his own creative elements. The location of the greatest portion of the witch hunt and trials, as well as the homes of the victims and suspects of witchcraft involvement, played an important role in the influencing of Hawthorne’s story. “Young Goodman Brown” took place in Salem Town, one of the larger areas that were effected by the witch hunt, and the surrounding forest. Despite the fact that this was the town that saw the most trials during the witch hunt, Hawthorne decided to use it as his story’s setting because he felt the histories lacked some vital points, such as the secret lives of these supposed witches (Miller 37). People being accused of witchcraft were found all throughout Salem Town, but there was no supporting evidence that these people were practicing witchcraft. Hawthorne wanted to bring that fact to history, even if it meant making it a fictional history. This helped to provide insight into what took place during the witch hunt and trials. As such, Hawthorne was inspired what he felt history greatly lacked. Likewise, another great influence that the Salem witch hunt had on Hawthorne’s short story were the actual events of the witch hunt, or rather the events that had no recorded history but most likely took place, such as the ceremonies and rituals involving witchcraft. History shows that the majority of the people accused of witchcraft were innocent; some were guilty, though their form of witchcraft was not so much witchcraft as it was the practicing of ancient remedies as opposed to modern ones. If a woman preferred to seek medical attention for their child from someone other than a doctor, that woman was believed to have dabbled in witchcraft, as well as the person they consulted. Hawthorne, in “Young Goodman Brown”, took a different point of view and brought forth the concept that those who were not being accused of witchcraft were the ones actually involved in the activities (Bird 114). Again, Hawthorne found himself inspired by events that most likely happened during the witch trials but were never recorded. He had no doubt that, given the widespread suspicions of witchcraft, people had to have been practicing witchcraft, and they were most likely people to be the least suspected. The events that took place during the Salem Witch Hunt proved to be very influential to Hawthorne and his short story, “Young Goodman Brown”. Even more influential to Hawthorne’s piece were the events that were not recorded to have taken place, but Hawthorne believed they still had to have existed somewhere during the events of the witch hunt. Hawthorne had personal reasons for involving himself creatively with the witch hunt, yet he also felt that he could provide readers with unique insights into what he believed history was lacking. Works Cited Bird, Otto A. From Witchery to Sanctity: The Religious Vicissitudes of the Hawthornes. South Bend, IN: St. Augustine's Press, 2005. Print. Miller, Edwin Haviland. Salem is My Dwelling Place: A Life of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press, 1991. Print. Moore, Margaret B. The Salem World of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Columbia, MI: University of Missouri Press, 1998. Print. Read More