Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804 (Belasco). Hawthorne’s ancestry relates all the way back to the witch trials that took place in Salem during 1692 and 1693; his ancestor John Hathorne, was one of the three judges during the trials (Nathaniel Hawthorne). After Hawthorne graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825, he moved back to Salem and lived with his mother while he worked on his writing for the next twelve years (Belasco). During this time, he changed his last name, adding a “W” to it, to distance himself from those before him.
Before his death, in 1864, he published many short stories two of which included “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Minister’s Black Veil”. In 1835, Hawthorne published “Young Goodman Brown” which is “perhaps the greatest tale of witchcraft ever written” (Nathaniel Hawthorne). And in 1836, Hawthorne wrote “The Minister’s Black Veil”, a story of an in-depth look at sin. Both of these short stories were written during a time when Puritanism was highly regarded and emphasized on all the communities. Puritanism started in England in the sixteenth century when a group of extreme Protestants separated from the Church of England (Bowden). Puritanism focuses on following the bible as if it is directions for life.
A good portion of American Puritans lived in New England for more than two hundred years (Bowden). Puritanism is still around today but no as prominent and followed as it was during the time of Salem’s
Nathaniel Hawthorne lived from 1804 until 1864. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He came from a family with a long history and he added a ‘w’ to his last name because he did not want to be associated with the history of the Salem witch trials, because the name Hathorne was tied to a judge in Salem. The Scarlett Letter was published in 1850. The Scarlet Letter was a way to address Puritanism and witch trials and deal with his families past. And
"Young Goodman Brown," a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, should be interpreted on a psychoanalytical level rather than a religious one. It is my observation that "Young Goodman Brown" may very well be the first published work alluding to divisions of the mind and personality theory. Although religion is a direct theme throughout the story, "Young Goodman Brown" appears to be an allegory with deeper meanings.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil" embodies the hidden sins that we all hide and that in turn distance us from the ones we love most. Reverend Hooper dons a black veil throughout this story, and never takes it off. He has discerned in everyone a dark, hidden self of secret sin. In wearing the veil Hooper dramatizes the isolation that each person experiences when they are chained down by their own sinful deeds. He has realizes that symbolically everyone can be found in the shadow of their own dark veil. Hooper in wearing this shroud across his face is only amplifying the dark side of people and the truth of human existence and nature.
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31) The manner in which Goodman Brown based his faith is a very good example of how not to base one’s faith. The strength of Goodman Browns faith was based on his wife’s faith, his trust in his neighbors, and his personal experiences. The strength of one’s faith is one of the most important aspects of any person, and it is especially important in the story Young Goodman Brown.
In “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Minister’s Black Veil” Nathaniel Hawthorne writes about a recurring theme of sin. Although sin is present in both of these works, the way that the characters come to deal with this innate sin of humans is very divergent. In both works sin is somehow concealed from others and keeps them from reaching a point of goodness. “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Minister’s Black Veil” can be considered counterparts and both depict the theme of sin and evil.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the most important authors in the history of American literature and the genre of Romanticism or Dark Romanticism, due to his unique style of writing and his focus upon subjects of Puritan religion and the unknown. I consider Hawthorne an important author, due to the fact that he skillfully and accurately based his fictional writings upon happenings of colonial times, was one of the first authors to display unfortunate outcomes for his characters’ immoral choices according to Puritan beliefs, and wrote of things that were considered taboo in his time, such as witchcraft, scientific innovation and experimentation. I strongly believe that Hawthorne’s influence for his writings were his Puritan ancestral background, his fascination with Puritan beliefs, and his interest in what was considered the unknown such as witchcraft and science. According to the Norton Anthology Textbook Vol. B, Nathaniel Hawthorne was “born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804” (370). Hawthorne belonged “to a family whose ancestral roots were tied to Puritan history, with his family being among the first settlers of Massachusetts and having one of his relatives serve as a judge during the Salem witch trials” (370). Hawthorne, as a young boy, “had a particular interest in writings such as John Bunyan’s Puritan allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, and by his mid-teens he took interest in British novelists such as Henry Fielding, Tobias Smollet, William Godwin, and Sir Walter Scott”
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Ministers Black Veil” are two short allegoric stories. “Young Goodman Brown” is a moral story which is told through the perversion of a common townsman. In Young Goodman Brown, Goodman Brown is a Puritan man who lets his excessive pride interfere with his relationship and the community; after he meets with the devil he is outraised and has live a life of exile. Similarly “The Ministers Black Veil” is also a moral story that is told through the perversion of a religious Puritan leader. In The Ministers Black Veil, Mr. Hooper is so embarrassed and ashamed of his sin that he attempts to disguise it by wearing a black veil. The veil later becomes the main symbol of all hidden sins. In an ironic way, Mr. Hooper and Goodman Brown are both wearing veils to cover up their guilt, excessive pride, and hidden sin.
In Young Goodman Brown and The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne, they reveal how hidden sin affects Puritan societies. On the Sabbath-day, when the congregation were singing a holy psalm, Goodman Brown couldn't listen, because of “ an anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear” (Hawthorne). Goodman Brown couldn't listen to the sacred song because of his guilt and sins he's hiding. The minister wears a black veil to show that he is hiding sins of his own. These sins have “enveloped the poor minister, so that love or sympathy could never reach him” (Hawthorne).
On July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts, Nathaniel Hathorne was born to Nathaniel Hathorne and Elizabeth Clark Manning Hathorne. Not wanting his name to be thought of in the likes of John Hathorne, a distinguished figure in the Salem witch trials of the late 1600s, Nathaniel added a ‘w’ to his name when he began his writing career. Nathaniel Hawthorne was only four when his father, the captain of a ship, died from yellow fever. Much of Hawthorne’s childhood was spend living with his mother, sisters, and uncles. Robert Manning, one of his uncles, was quite taken by a young Nathaniel and was the financing behind Hawthorne’s years at Bowdoin College. He began publishing short stories during his college education and continued to write after his graduation in 1925.
Puritans moved from England to Massachusetts in 1630, so they could worship freely. Among the Puritan culture that lived in Salem, Massachusetts, was Nathaniel Hawthorne. Many of Hawthorne’s short stories were affected by his Puritan background. Some examples are, Young Goodman Brown, The Birthmark, and The Minister’s Black Veil. These stories all have Puritanism throughout them, for example, not displaying affection in public, not being arrogant, focusing on heaven not the world, and not associating with strange and or devilish things.
Though we don’t really know why Hooper wears the veil, it’s the vagueness of it that makes the response of the townspeople important. It shows how they are scared of something that they won’t even take the time to try and understand.
Many American writers have scrutinized religion through their works of literature, however none had the enthusiasm of Nathaniel Hawthorne. A handful of Hawthorne's works are clear critiques of seventeenth century Puritan society in New England. Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown and The Scarlet Letter illustrate his assessment by showing internal battles within characters, hypocrisy in religious figures, atypical punishment for crimes, and accenting women's roles in Puritan society. Firstly, Hawthorne's literature often stresses internal battles in main characters. In both Young Goodman Brown and The Scarlet Letter, these battles are
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” (repr. in Thomas R. Arp, and Greg Johnson, Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 8th ed. [Fort Worth: Harcourt, 2002] 316) is a short story with strong Puritan influence. Puritanism is a religion demanding strict moral conduct and strong faith. Puritans held that Christians should do only what the Bible commanded. Analyzing “Young Goodman Brown” is dependant upon understanding the Puritan faith. The influence of the Puritan religion is vivid in literary elements such as setting, allegory, and theme.
Nathaniel Hawthorn was an American novelist and short story writer. He is also a very interesting writer to analyze due to the psychological complexity of his work. Most of his works feature moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic Movement and, more specifically, dark romanticism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. More specifically, in “The Minister´s Black Veil” and “Young Goodman Brown” these qualities and characteristics of his works are quite easy to see. In contrast with many other points of view and many other conclusions from different readers they might have after
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem Massachusetts which was steeped in the Puritan legacy. An early ancestor, William Hathorne, was a judge known for his rigid sentencing and his son, John Hathorne, was as well one of the three judges during the Salem Witch Trials in the 1690s. These actions made Nathaniel Hawthorne to distance himself from his family and changed his last name by adding a “w” to it. Hawthorne was an early American Romantic writer who is considered a very significant person for the elevated American short story from a part time killer into a major literary form together with the effort of Edgar Allan Poe. Hawthorne expressed his New England Puritan heritage throughout “Young Goodman Brown”. This story develops though Goodman Brown giving into evil and the dishonesty in his wife Faith, as well as, all characters being symbols as all people fall into temptation and go from good to evil.