Essay Sin, Guilt, and the Mind of Nathaniel Hawthorne

The time was the nineteenth century, a time of great prudishness in America but born a man Nathaniel Hawthorne that would put the Puritan society and their way to the test. A Puritan is one who follows the English Protestant lifestyle and someone who adheres to strict religious principle; also one who has a strong regard for pleasure sex and nudity. (Webster’s Dictionary, 2003) Born on July 4th 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts and of Puritan decent himself, Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family experienced intense harassment during their time.(Hoeljte, pps 25-26) Experiences that today make Hawthorne not only a great author, but very well liked by readers as well. Nathaniel attended a prestigious school with the aid of wealthy family

The story reveals that there is some degree of evil in everyone because humans are born with the freewill to do right or wrong. As humans, we are born into an imperfect world and we have many flaws. We can choose to be good honest people or evil doers. The older man in Young Goodman Brown said that Goodman Brown had more evil power then he did. This older man could represent an evil spirit or even the devil himself. This line in the story could

    In "Young Goodman Brown," Nathaniel Hawthorne, through the use of deceptive imagery, creates a sense of uncertainty that illuminates the theme of man's inability to operate within a framework of moral absolutism.  Within every man there is an innate difference between good and evil and Hawthorne's deliberate use of ambiguity mirrors this complexity of human nature. Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown, is misled by believing in the perfectibility of humanity and in the existence of moral absolutes. According to Nancy Bunge, Hawthorne naturally centers his story upon a Puritan protagonist to convey the "self-righteous" that he regards as the "antithesis of wisdom"(4). Consequently, Young

Nathaniel Hawthorne comes from a bloodline that is associated with the Salem witch trials in 1692. His great-great-grandfather was a puritan that took part in the executions during the witch trilas, explaining Hawthorne’s fondness with the religion. Nathaniel Hawthorne is known for his interest in the News England Puritan past. Most of Hawthorne’s writings implement the Puritan ways and faith in which most of the characters act upon or main faith is revolved around. “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Scarlet Letter” are both one of Hawthorne’s many pieces that are prime examples of the Puritan religion affecting his writing. Through the story Hawthorne uses many allegories representing Christian, but also puritan faith and many symbols relating to them also.

In "Young Goodman Brown,” Hawthorne makes the reader believe that Goodman Brown has learned the truth about the world and how evil it really is. In the story, the accounts of Goodman Brown let you believe that he has truly seen the evil in the world and knows what lurks behind everybody masks. He is displayed losing his faith in God. Although Goodman Brown thought his family, town, and wife were good people, he fell for the devil's evil tricks in believing that his family was not as it seemed and gave into sin. The character Young Goodman Brown written by Nathaniel Hawthorne finds many issues of evil concerning the town's people in which he lives, about himself, and the reality behind the evil. Throughout “Young Goodman Brown,” the main character

Hawthorne uses the theme of sin to create the image of a man who cannot accept the sins of mankind around him. Though the burden is not his to bear alone, Goodman Brown feels as though the sins of society have consumed him. “Young Goodman Brown” reveals a truthful representation of the Puritan lifestyle and the effects that sins have on the conscience of an individual. Events such as the Salem Witch Trials, intolerance of the Quakers, and King Phillip’s War have subtle reference in Hawthorne’s work, which aide in the presentation of the darkness of sin society would have faced (Eberwein 29). Hawthorne uses the story

Media vita in morte sumus “In the Midst of life we are death.”, this phrase is used in traditional Western Christian liturgy and is recited for religious purpose. It was Attributed by Benedictine monk Notker I of Saint Gall dates back to 912, and sums up a quintessential christian idea that has been enforced from Before the Common Era to modern religion. Death is about life, eternal life. The miniscule quota of days spent on earth, does not begin to compare to the infinity of days that will be spent in the “promised land.” Repenting from sin during the short days on earth will be a small sacrifice for what is to come. Christianity in New England was irritatingly strict due to it being a Puritan Society. Jesus seems to

It’s easy to commit a sin, but it’s not so simple living with a guilty conscience. The courage to admit one’s sins is necessary for salvation from guilt. As soon as remorse fills a person’s heart, it will leave a permanent mark, and he or she will never forget that agony. Nathaniel Hawthorne exemplifies that sole truth in the Scarlet Letter, “And be the stern and sad truth spoken, that the breach which guilt has once made into the human soul is never, in this mortal state, repaired. It may be watched and guarded; so that the enemy shall not force his way again into the citadel, and might even, in his subsequent assaults, select some other avenue, in preference to that where he had formerly succeeded. But there is still the ruined wall, and,

Nathaniel Hawthorne has presented his disapproval of Puritanism in the form of "Young Goodman Brown" who has been presented as the living embodiment of Puritanical sect. Where the influence of Hawthorne's background on his work is evident, he has managed to present evidences for his argument. In his short story, he portrays Young Goodman Brown as a character who, on the basis of his own staunch beliefs, disapproves everyone bearing conflicting ideology and religious beliefs and thus, continues to live a sad life followed by cynicism and distrust. Hawthorne appears to be highly ashamed of his relation to his ancestors who were rigid believers of Puritanism. Through this story, Hawthorne argues that the Puritanism is a form of extremism which takes away the liberty and freedom of choice from general public whereas leaders of this sect are divulged into hypocrisy which makes them impose religion on others but provides them all the opportunities to enjoy blessings of life while imposing misery and distress on others.

Goodman Brown’s conflicts of interest are represented throughout story through the characters. All his evil desires are his id and his reason for avoiding his sin such as the views that his society will have on him is his ego. Levy said in his essay “The Problem of Faith in “Young Goodman Brown””, “His submission to evil suggests that the demands of the id have overtaken the ego” (379). When the highly respected people in his community gave in

In Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown, the conflict of man versus himself is mirrored throughout the story as the protagonist Goodman Brown struggle internally with the concept of morality. During 1690’s, a group of zealots known as ‘Puritans,’ persecuted, convicted and passed judgement of over a dozen trials of females in Salem Massacheutts that were accused of practicing witchcraft. Among these zealots, Hawthorne’s descendants were judges that were brutal in their final judgement. Similarly, Brown battles his personal demons and reality waivers in what seems to be a dream or revelation of human nature, he is left to generalize that human beings are innately flawed which is portrayed through hypocrisy of Puritanism (religion).

Hester Prynne, who cares for her child in the absence of the child’s father, chooses to dress her child similar to the symbol of the scarlet “A” on her chest. “…the child’s whole appearance, that is irresistibly and inevitably reminded the beholder of the token which Hester Prynne was doomed to wear upon her bosom. It was the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life” (101). Many of the community’s residence, look at this as Hester punishing her child, however she uses Pearl dressed in scarlet clothing to remind herself on what she will never do again. Hester knowingly tries to remind herself of her faults and intends on being the example for Pearl. Hawthorne’s point of sin is applied here as Pearl embodies sin and Hester can not only feel it inside but must live

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, takes place in 17th century, Puritan New England. Nathaniel Hawthorne was not a happy man. He was Anti Transcendentalist which meant he believed that all humans had a wild nature that only society could keep in check. This belief is reflected in all of his novels. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses the symbols of Pearl, Dimmesdale, and the Leech to convey the theme of guilt.

At the end of the story, the Devil tells Young Goodman Brown and Faith that their new outlook on life will emphasize humanity’s inevitability to sin and condemns Young Goodman Brown to a life of disgust and anger at the sins of man. Young Goodman Brown now thinks the complete opposite of what he did in the beginning of the story. He thought his family was holy and Faith was pure. The Devil points out how naive his views are and allows him to see the darkness in any human. Young Goodman Brown returns to the town, trusting no one due to the fact that he cannot stop seeing the evil in everyone.

his passion and love for his wife rage like a fire, his faith rages as well.