Solitude and Isolation of Hawthorne and Young Goodman Brown Essay

“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a short story centered around the psychoanalysis of Young Goodman Brown. Hawthorne was an American Novelist who wrote exceptional short stories, many of the Dark Romantic genre. The genre is characterized by dark, gloomy, psychologically crazed, romanticisms that often don’t have that typical happy ending. Throughout “Young Goodman Brown” his mental capacity is put to the test as he is forced to endure a battle between 2 conflicting emotions. Ambivalence is shown throughout the story as well, due to these conflicting emotions. Young Goodman Browns departure on his journey outlines the power struggle of good and evil within himself and the sinful nature his psyche imposes on the members of his community.

"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.

The dialogue, action and motivation revolve about the characters in the story (Abrams 32-33). It is the purpose of this essay to demonstrate the types of characters present in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown,” whether static or dynamic, whether flat or round, and whether protrayed through showing or telling.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, Young Goodman Brown, Brown goes on a journey through the forest that drastically changes him. While we never know the real reason why Brown went to the forest, the experience in the forest caused him to become a bitter, sad, and lonely man who couldn't look at life the same after that night. There were many events that occurred in the forest that caused this change in him.

"Young Goodman Brown" begins when Brown is starting to set out into the woods for a secret meeting. Faith,

As he enters the village, he questions, “‘What God cloth the wizard pray to?’” (9) as he hears Deacon Gookin muttering the holy words of his prayer through the window. By questioning which God Deacon Gookin was praying to, it reveals how the journey at the woods affected his belief and faith. In addition, when he spots Goody Cloyse catechizing a young girl he quickly “...[snatches] away the child...from the grasp of [Cloyse]...” (9). Here, it conveys how Brown lost his trust in people by preventing Goody Cloyse from teaching a young girl about faith which he believed was ironic.

Young Goodman Brown," written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is the story of a young Christian mans struggle between good versus evil, and the loss of his innocence. All of us harbor a propensity for evil regardless of the mask that we put on for society.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne introduces Goodman Brown, who doubts himself and reiterates his false confidence to himself repeatedly. His struggle between the evil temptations, the devil, and the proper church abiding life, is a struggle he does not think he can handle. This story is about a man who challenges his faith in himself and in the community in which he resides. Goodman Brown must venture on a journey into the local forest, refuse the temptations of the devil, and return to the village before the sunrise.

After Deacon Gookin and the minister had passed by, the reader feels the very feelings of Brown:

    Roy Harvey Pearce in “Twice-Told Tales: A Blend of Stories” makes reference to the widely-known poverty of the aspiring writer,Nathaniel Hawthorne: “True enough, Hawthorne planned more than once to write groups of tales and sketches somehow linked into a whole; but he could not get a publisher for them. When he did get a publisher in 1837, it had to be through the help of the hack-editor, Samuel Goodrich. . . .” (107) Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” includes traits of the modest lifestyle which the author was forced to endure in his personal life. Besides this, there was also an artisitc-resources impoverishment because of the tiny town in which

Goodman Brown was crushed by the revelation that the potential for wickedness lives in everyone. Whatever remains of his life is annihilated as a result of his failure to face this truth and live with it. The story, which may have been a fantasy, and not a genuine occasion, planted the seed of uncertainty in Brown's psyche, which thus cut him off from his kindred man and allows him to sit unbothered and discouraged. His life closes alone and hopeless in light of the fact that he was never ready to take a gander at himself and understand that what he accepted were other people's issues were his too. His over the top pride in himself prompted his separation from the group. Cocoa was covered with "no cheerful verse upon his gravestone; for his

Young Goodman Brown protagonist struggles with Puritanism is a reflection of Hawthorne personal conflicts with Puritanism. Hawthorne uses the story of Young Goodman Brown to illustrate Puritanism's disconnection between

Young Goodman Brown, a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is about a young newly married man having a prearranged meeting with the “dark sided” people of his town. The story is exemplary of Gothic writing which is characterized by spooky settings, mysterious characters and the supernatural. In the beginning Goodman Brown is leaving his bride and the safety of his home and goes on a journey of questionable meaning, through a “dreary” and “gloomy” forest (8). In the forest he comes upon an unholy individual who accompanies him and will change his life forever. (Hawthorne, StudyMode, Project)

   Goodman Brown is no exception, in fact, he seems to be the rule. He is recently married to a woman ironically named Faith, whom he loves dearly. He seems happily married, and yet, there is something odd with him at the start of the story. We sense he is a troubled man, and the source of his worries seem to be his wife.

The next morning, young Goodman Brown came slowly into the street of Salem village, staring around him like a bewildered man. The good old minister was taking a walk along the graveyard, to get an appetite for breakfast and meditate his sermon, and bestowed a blessing, as he passed, on Goodman Brown. He shrank from the venerable saint, as if to avoid an anathema. Old Deacon Gookin was at domestic worship, and the holy words of his prayer were heard through the open window. "What God doth the wizard pray to?" quoth Goodman Brown. Goody Cloyse, that excellent old Christian, stood in the early