Literary Elements In Young Goodman Brown And The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Symbolism is a major literary device that helps people see a book through symbols that often have a deeper meaning. A symbol is used to explain something in a different way, using images, objects, etc. instead of just saying it in words. As you search for a deeper meaning in a work of art or literature it can help you understand the author’s intentions and the deeper significance of a work. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, symbols help reinforce the major themes of the book.

Alfred Whitehead, an English mathematician and philosopher, once said, “Symbolism is no mere idle fancy or corrupt degeneration: it is inherent in the very texture of human life.” In almost every story, there is some form of symbolism being used. Sometimes it is used in the characters, the setting, certain objects, the weather patterns, etc. Not only does symbolism have a great effect on the story itself, but it affects how the story is perceived. “Young Goodman Brown”, “The Minister’s Black Veil”, and “The Birthmark” are all full of many forms of symbolism. The themes of these stories are shown through the symbolism of the characters, their traits, and the objects.

When writing, authors can employ many literary devices. One of the many literary devices is symbolism. Symbolism sets the theme and makes the reader question. The symbols can help stress the theme of the story.

Within Nathaniel Hawthorne 's short story "Young Goodman Brown" (p.317), Young Goodman Brown travels through a dark and mysterious forest late at night. Ignoring the pleas of his pure wife Faith, he ventures deep into the woods with many dangers around him, only to emerge in the morning a changed man with bewildered views on his own Puritan life and the Puritan community around him. At the cause for this change in mindset, the dream of an old man symbolizing the devil appears, showing him the community partaking in a ritual which can only be described as an act of worshipping the devil. This symbol is one of the more obvious ones found within the story of "Young Goodman Brown", some are equally obvious while others may require more in-depth analyzing. These symbols are so prevalent in the story that they all have meanings that advance the story and create more depth within the characters.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne 's short stories, "Young Goodman Brown", "The Minister 's Black Veil", and "The Birthmark", he provides us with female characters with very similar attributes, and they all have the same inhuman acceptance for the men they love. No matter what is thrown at these three unprecedented women they still show a extreme tolerance for their companions. While Goodman Brown, Mr. Hooper, and Aylmer struggle with their own appalling desires, their partners continue to follow them even though it might put them in danger. Hawthorne duplicates the same type of female character throughout his short stories, and it could be interpreted that he feels women should follow their men no matter what the risk. It is possible that in his own idea, woman should be completely submissive to their companions, despite the fact that those companions are struggling with their own troubled minds. Those same men who would not sacrifice some of their own happiness in order to keep their women content, and in some cases keep them alive. This can be seen throughout the three short stories, and in all three, the women are the ones who sacrifice themselves in order to keep their partners feeling fulfilled.

     American literature reflects life and the struggles faced during existence. Symbols are an eloquent way for an author to create a more fully developed work of art. The stories themselves tell a tale; however, an author also uses symbols to relay his message in a more subtle manner. Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the earliest authors to use symbols as an integral part of his plots. This is clearly seen in both The Scarlet Letter and in The House of the Seven Gables. The use of symbols causes an "association psychology" to enter into the story, making it more intriguing.1 In Nathaniel Hawthorne's romance The House of the Seven Gables, symbolism is used eloquently to enhance the story

1) In 175 words or more, take two of the romantic characteristics we discussed in class and explain how they are demonstrated in at least two of the stories we read.

“‘Faith! Faith!’ cried the husband. ‘Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked one!’” (Hawthorne 270). Had he taken his own advice from the beginning of his story, Young Goodman Brown may have avoided his hopeless, gloomy future. In “Young Goodman Brown,” Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the story of a Puritan man’s journey through the forest to attend an illicit Black Mass. Along the way, Young Goodman Brown meets a mysterious traveler who, piece-by-piece, decimates Brown’s faith until it is entirely obliterated. Hawthorne uses characterization, symbolism, and irony to show that faith based on any person or entity other than God is easily lost and leads to bitterness and anger.

Faith is a word often used to describe the trust that one has in God; as expressed in a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown.” In Young Goodman Brown, one of Hawthorne’s biggest themes is faith. Hawthorne wrote this story to illustrations how temptation and the views of others can influence the way an individual lives. “Young Goodman Brown” takes place in the 1800s during the time of the Salem Witch Trials; where emphasis was positioned on the strict moral rules and the search for evil where it was not present. According to Laurie Anne Jacobs, “He recreates the time period most remembered of the Puritans: the Salem witch trials” (Jacobs 1). Although this is just a storyline, the story mirrors the life of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Most of Hawthorne’s novels explored the social history of New England and the Puritan community; more specifically in “Young Goodman Brown.” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses “Young Goodman Brown” as an illustration of the fall of man. Hawthorne explains what he sees as the difficulties in religion from the stand point of a man who is tempted by the devil because of his weakness in his faith.

In 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 break down 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.

Symbols unlock the secrets of a story. Hawthorne, in The Scarlet Letter, uses many symbols to represent different things. Some symbols represent the same thing. The letter “A” has many meanings, each character has their own meanings, and even the different parts of nature are symbols. Also, apart from providing structure for the novel, each scaffold scene conveys something different. One could say, arguably, that nearly everything in The Scarlet Letter is a symbol for something else.

As cliché as it might sound, everyone has a story to tell. Most of the time, it would be the story of their life. Whether we like to admit it or not, we all are a hot mess, we are blobs of emotions ready to explode. Some of us try to put on an armor of steel and push our way through our daily lives, avoiding the inevitable. Others might pour their hearts and minds out. This particularly applies to musicians, artists and writers, since they are also humans, but better at expressing themselves.

Christ's death and resurrection can be considered only the beginning of his ministry for afterward he instructed his remaining apostles to "go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Mt 28:16-20 [New King James Version]) Sixteen centuries later a group of Christians called Puritans would attempt to fulfill this Great Commission by spreading the good news of Christ and creating a Christian-based settlement in the American colonies. Some time later author Nathaniel Hawthorne would write a critical story of this time in American history focusing on the corruption and un-Christian actions and attitudes of the people who claimed to be acting in Christ's name. Despite it's intention, Young Goodman Brown can be seen as a short story which discusses the inner battle each Christian must face when deciding to follow Christ's Great Commission, represented by their living a Christian lifestyle. The story's protagonist, Goodman Brown, must overcome the hypocrisy, corruption, and the deceitfulness of the world in order to be live a Christian lifestyle; but his own inner demons prove too much to overcome and his desire to be good and avoid sin becomes the source of his own sin.

In the world we have witnessed crimes from the beginning of time up until present time and such crimes have often been the cause of fear overtaking those who are easily fearful. The fear that can overwrite a person’s mind can be found in the short story “Young Goodman Brown”, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this particular story, the author uses a relatively fair amount of allegory, imagery, and symbolism to bring the story to life and make us imagine the disturbed mentality of those who lived during the Salem Witchcraft Trials. To the stories like “Young Goodman Brown” are still being reviewed and criticized by those who study his work, including those that differ from the original view I had perceived from his piece of literature. Through evidence obtained throughout the course of the story, it will provide evidence that will give support to my original analysis as well as those who oppose my view and strike their argument on what their meaning of the story is.

The Puritan religion played a big role in the formation of early America, therefore significantly changing a lot of the authors who wrote throughout this time period, including Nathaniel Hawthorne. One of Hawthorne’s most known stories is “Young Goodman Brown” – a story wherein Hawthorne mixes faith and history to demonstrate humanity’s struggle with sin.