Literary Motifs in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay

Literary Motifs in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† A literary motif â€Å"is a conspicuous element, such as a type of incident, device, reference, or formula, which occurs frequently in works of literature† (Abrams 169). Incredibly, this one tale, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, contains an array of familiar literary motifs (Axelrod 337). First of all, the tale involves the common motif of a journey in quest of something. The young Goodman Brown, at the beginning of the story, takes leave of his wife, Faith, in order to journey into the woods where he keeps an appointment with the devil: My love and my Faith, replied young Goodman Brown, of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee.†¦show more content†¦The husband cast one look at his pale wife, and Faith at him. What polluted wretches would the next glance show them to each other, shuddering alike at what they disclosed and what they saw! The climax of the story involves a last-second repentance by the protagonist (Faith! Faith! cried the husband. Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One!), but regrettably there has already been done some serious, irremediable damage to his inner peace. There is a post-climactic journey involving only the protagonist, Goodman himself, back into Salem village the following morning. This second journey does not restore Goodman to the tranquillity of his pre-journeying days. Even after many years, Brown’s peace has not returned and he dies an unhappy death: â€Å"And when he had lived long, and was borne to his grave, a hoary corpse, followed by Faith, an aged woman, and children and grandchildren, a goodly procession, besides neighbors, not a few, they carved no hopeful verse upon his tombstone; for his dying hour was gloom.† Secondly, there is present in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† the literary motif of a disparity between appearance and reality. The setting of the town of Salem, Massachusetts, is presented as normal in every way – with one street, with a meeting-house, with simple houses built right on the street, with a minister and deacon (Deacon Gookin) and catechism instructor (Goodye Cloyse), with an averagem assortment of good and badShow MoreRelatedYoung Goodman Brown964 Words   |  4 PagesOne: Reader-Response Criticism Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a short story in which the author attempts to convey several different messages or themes throughout the literary piece. Themes in literary works can sometimes be better understood by analyzing the piece with a specific literary criticism technique. A few of these literary criticism techniques include Marxist, Formalism, and Reader Response just to name a few. Given Hawthorne’s style of writing and this short story inRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Young Goodman Brown Essay1932 Words   |  8 PagesMichael Sprute AP English Mrs. Berry 4 October 2016 Humanity is Destined to be Maple I. Introduction A. First paragraph of introduction 1. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a dark romantic short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne originally published in 1835. 2. Set in 17th century New England, Hawthorne utilizes this short story to convey his distaste for the Salem Witch Trials and his great-grandfather, John Hathorne’s participation as a judge. In addition, he demonstrates the Puritan idea that all humansRead MoreFiction Essay - Young Goodman Brown and the Lottery1051 Words   |  5 PagesLottery† and Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† reveals that different literary elements, such as tone and setting, are used to convey the characters’ arrival at dark, sinister places. II. INTRODUCTION III. SHIRLEY JACKSON’S â€Å"THE LOTTERY† A. 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Hawthorne’s ability to weave stories through the use of complex language and early puritan society narratives has long been a topic of study amongst scholars and young adults, alike. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† explores the idea of good vs. evil and draws many parallels to the life of Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is often debated whether man is born innately good or evil. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† it is possible to see Hawthorne’s stance on this. However, before delvingRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown1492 Words   |  6 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story of Young Goodman Brown, the author uses symbolism and allegories in order to showcase the Puritan faith as well as man’s conflict between good and evil. This analysis will breakdown the techniques that the author uses to critique the puritan society, and to show the difference between how people appear to be in society and the true colors that they are hidden inside of them. There has been a lot of great authors in our time, but none more interesting than NathanielRead MoreEssay on The Ambiguity in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown1587 Words   |  7 PagesThe Ambiguity in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†      Ã‚  Ã‚     The literary critics agree that there is considerable ambiguity in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† This essay intends to illustrate the previous statement and to analyze the cause of this ambiguity.    Henry James in Hawthorne, when discussing â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† comments on how imaginative it is, then mentions how allegorical Hawthorne is, and how allegory should be expressed clearly:    I frankly confess that I haveRead 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. Goodman Brown, our main character and narrator, leads us through his experience of the forest and the temptations to give into sin. Yet, it seems he is the most affected within this journey, by his wife of 3 months—Faith. Faith, as well as the puritan society’s as a whole—is represented as innocence and pure. As the story progresses any reader can conclude that not one member of the puritan society is untainted fromRead MoreAn Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe And Ralph Waldo Emerson1090 Words   |  5 Pagesas the â€Å"most significant fiction writer of the antebellum period† (P.369). One of the unique characteristics of Hawthorne’s literary work was his use of multiple and conflicting interpretations. Hawthorne forces his readers to ma ke their own interpretations and demonstrates how interpretation is a form of self-expression (P.370). In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s text â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Hawthorne uses a variety of techniques that separate him from English writers. Hawthorne leaves many clues orRead More Structure of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay example1216 Words   |  5 PagesStructure of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚         â€Å"Almost all literary theorists since Aristotle have emphasized the importance of structure, conceived in diverse ways, in analyzing a work of literature† (Abrams 300). This essay will explore some interesting points in the structure of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† considering the time-frame, foreshadowing, suspenseful incidents, climax and denouement (Axelrod 337).    The narrative in this tale is straightforward until the narrator