Nathaniel Hawthorne “Young Goodman Brown”

Nathaniel Hawthorne 1804-1864 Born in Salem, Massachusetts Puritan Background Ancestor of John Hathorne – one of the three judges in the Salem Witch Trials

Family Fun His great-great-grandfather, William Hathorne, ordered the whipping of Anne Coleman and four others in the streets of Salem. His great-grandfather, John Hathorne, was the magistrate presiding over the trial of the accused witches of Salem (1692).

Hawthorne’s Background Began writing after college at Bowdion College in Maine Spent many years in seclusion – starving artist Held many jobs including writer, publisher, working at a custom house, and consul in England

More Background Married Sophie Peabody in 1825 Was friends with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, and President Franklin Pierce

His Themes in Writing Moral allegories The sinful man Hypocrisy The Dark side of Human Nature Religious in Nature

His Most Famous Works Novels Short Stories The House of Seven Gables The Scarlet Letter Short Stories “The Minister’s Black Veil” “Young Goodman Brown”

Who were the Puritans? Wanted a “pure” church No candles No Images No stained glass windows Rejected the “showy” church of England Led very somber lives governed solely by a strict interpretation of the Bible No “nonsense” – dancing, gambling, drama, etc

Basic Beliefs of the Puritan Church Jesus Christ is the Son of God – died on the cross for all everyone’s sins The whole Bible is the word of God and it is to be followed to the letter. The belief that these ideas are fact are known as a person’s faith

Basic Beliefs of the Puritan Church Faith is what is necessary to get into heaven. If you don’t go to heaven you go to hell. Sins, as defined by the Bible, are to be avoided or cut out of life A catechism is a book that is used to teach basic principles of the church

Puritanism Puritanism is the religious reform movement of the 16th and 17th centuries seeking to purify the Church of England Characterized by earnest, intense moral and religious principles such as the necessary covenant relationship with God, the emphasis on preaching and the Holy Spirit’s dominance over reason as the instrument of salvation America: a Holy Commonwealth and a covenanted community

The Infamous Puritans The Salem Witch Trials put the Puritans prominently in the history books Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible put it in Literature classes forever

Hawthorne’s Purpose -Puritans, religious beliefs/hypocrisies of the time period -Revealing the flaws of society (Gothic/romantic literature) -In this case specifically flaws in religion (puritans) The darkness in each of us

And Now, Nathanial Hawthorn’s Short Story “Young Goodman Brown”

Some Basics… Characters Young Goodman Brown His wife, Faith Mysterious man in the forest with a strange looking staff

Some Basics… Minor Character’s Notes… Constable: person in law enforcement Deacon: position in church held by congregation member Goody: abbr. of “goodwife”, female version of goodman Reverend: pastor Sabbath: day of rest in the Judo/Christian church – in this case, Sunday

YGB as an Allegory What is an allegory? A story where everything is a symbol Used commonly to instruct especially in religious matters Some famous allegories are: Dante’s Divine Comedy (more famous though is the first part commonly known as Dante’s Inferno John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress

The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown – Basics The Snake Satan – The Devil Why? See Genesis Chapter 3

The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown - Basics The Forest Evil / Sin

The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown – Basics Stars / Sky / Heavenly Bodies Heaven / Connection with God

The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown - Basics White Purity Red Sin Pink ????

The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown - Basics Fire Hell

The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown – now, not basic The common Christian man – brown is neutral Faith A Christian’s faith Witches Satan / Evil

One Last Thing for Tomorrow… Another literary term feather for your literary term cap… Imagery: words and phrases that re-create vivid sensory experiences for the reader. Usually imagery is visual, but often it is written to the senses of smell, hearing, taste, and touch