Nathaniel Hawthorne “Young Goodman Brown”

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

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 –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 to pursue own beliefs; they felt that the Church of England, a Protestant Church, was too similar in practices to the Catholic Church. Led very somber lives governed solely by a strict interpretation of the Bible, and spent long hours in prayer No “nonsense” – dancing, gambling, drama, etc.

Emphasis was placed on the righteousness and sovereignty of God, who directed ALL things by exercise of His will. (This differed from the Catholic point of view that priests were holier than the rest of the congregation.) The Puritans’ view of the Old Testament scriptures, especially the story of Adam and Eve, affected their views of salvation. To them, human beings were depraved sinners incapable of earning merit in the eyes of God. However, their belief structure provided for God choosing those who were worthy for salvation. This predestination of sorts was a mainstay in the Puritan religion. Basic Beliefs of the Puritan Church

Jesus Christ is the Son of God – he died on the cross for 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 is 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 and cut out of life. A catechism is a book that is used to teach basic principles of the church.

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

And Now, Nathanial Hawthorn’s Short Story “Young Goodman Brown” …my favorite creepy short story of the year…

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

Important Literary Terms for YGB… 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. Allegory: a related series of symbolic codes ( c haracters, o bjects, d ialogue, e vents, s ettings) that teach a lesson about human truth.