We didn't much of a chance to discuss "Young Goodman Brown" on Friday with the shortened schedules and the "Lost" fans discussing the latest episode (seriously, how can it be that good?), so why not talk about it on the blog? I know it's past eleven, but still...
Overall, I found it very interesting how Hawthorne relies so heavily on the Puritan heritage in America. It seems that everything else we've read was based in the 1800s or slightly before (Revolutionary War Era). The Puritan time period seems to counter the Romantic period in every way- feelings are repressed, and religion is followed strictly and by the book. While I haven't had a chance to read "The Scarlet Letter" (which I now know the ending to because of the intro...), I've heard that it is in part a criticism of Puritanism. Hawthorne, whose family had strongly Puritanical roots, definitely seems to be echoing that sentiment in this tale. The supposedly devout Christians are led to a Satanic ritual in the forest, and even Brown's mentor and wife, Faith (how appropriate), are led astray by the Devil. Most shockingly, Hawthorne even tells of how the town minister was making his way to the meeting- perhaps he was trying to point out that outward devoutness did not necessarily indicate true faith.
Another very important part is the outcome. "Young Goodman Brown" can hardly be said to end on a good note, as Brown is distrustful of everyone around him, including Faith, because of his inability to know whether his experience was a dream or a reality. I feel as though Hawthorne, like Poe, was making a statement about the human psyche, in that emotion and the irrational have a critical role in people's lives. What do you guys think? Can you draw any other connections between the two?
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2 comments:
Well, I guess I would say the biggest connection I see between Goodman Brown and Poe's work say..the House of Usher are that they were both about what was going on inside the mind of the character not their actual journey. And also the fact that in both stories the main characters are overpowered by the supernatural. House of Usher, the sister comes back to run the main character out of the house and in Goodman Brown, his "dream?" ruins his faith in others forever. It shows the power of the irrational to overcome reason and control the human psyche.
o that was Cristy, (as is this) and also i mean the flagrant use of symbols to get the main points across. Both authors fill their stories to the brink with flagrant and subtle hints instead of using blunt direct logic. From the name "Faith" to the pink ribbon symbolizing tainted faith. (You can only truly have faith once your belief has been tested) In Usher the decaying of the house of usher and the reflection of the house in the lake. It just makes me want to go back and analyze to find the clues that the author incorporated into the story.
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