1. Biography, “Young Goodman Brown”, and Connections to Salem, MA.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Biography, “Young Goodman Brown”, and Connections to Salem, MA.

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

3. Hawthorne’s Background
Began writing after college at Bowdion College in Maine.
Changed his name from Hathorne to Hawthorne after college.
Held many jobs including writer, publisher, working at a custom house, and consul in England.

4. More Background
Was friends with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville
Went to college with President Franklin Pierce (14th President)

5. His Themes in Writing Moral allegories The sinful man Hypocrisy
The dark side of human nature
Religion

6. 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”

7. Who were the Puritans? Wanted a “pure” church
No candles
No images (idolatry – the worship of images or statues)
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.

8. Basic Beliefs of the Puritan Church
Jesus Christ is the Son of God – died on the cross for all everyone’s sins
People are pre-disposed or predestined to commit sins and go to hell.
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

9. 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

10. And Now, Nathanial Hawthorne’s Short Story “Young Goodman Brown”
Young – indicates his age
Goodman – typical title for a farmer
Brown – the man’s last name

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

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

13. 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

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

15. The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown - Color
White Purity
Red Sin
Pink Childishness, femininity, impurity (remember that women were seen as having weaker spirits in puritan society)

16. The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown – Good Versus Evil
Stars / Sky / Heavenly Bodies
Heaven / Connection with God

17. The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown – Good Versus Evil
The Forest
Evil / Sin

18. The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown – Good Versus Evil
Fire
Hell

19. The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown – People
The common Christian man – brown is neutral
Faith
A Christian’s faith
Witches
Satan / Evil

20. One Last Thing for ACES…
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