James, Henry. "Critical Views on Young Goodman Brown." 1966. Bloom's Major
Broomall: Chelsea House, 2001. 17-18. Print.Short Story Writers Nathaniel
Hawthorne. Ed. Harold Bloom. Broomall: Chelsea House, 2001. 17-18. Print.
Henry James make the points that in Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne is imaginative, but is too allegorical.
Main Point:
Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown is iventively written.
Evidence:
"There is imagination in that, and in many another passage that I might quote"(18).
Main Point:
Young Goodman Brown is not quality literature because it is overly allegorical.
Evidence:
"I frankly confess that I have, as a general thing, but little enjoyment of [allegories], and that it has never seemed to me to be, as it were, a first-rate literary form"(18).
Main Point:
Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown is iventively written.
Evidence:
"There is imagination in that, and in many another passage that I might quote"(18).
Main Point:
Young Goodman Brown is not quality literature because it is overly allegorical.
Evidence:
"I frankly confess that I have, as a general thing, but little enjoyment of [allegories], and that it has never seemed to me to be, as it were, a first-rate literary form"(18).
Young Goodman Brown's "Heart of Darkness"
American Literature Paul J. Hurley. "Young Goodman Brown's Heart of Darkness" (1996) 410-19. Gale Research. Stratford High School Learning Resource Center Web. Thurs. 27 Sept 2012
Primarily concerning the characteristics, mind and heart of Goodman Brown, Paul J. Hurley suggests in his literally criticism that the entire story of Young Goodman Brown is concerning Goodman’s withdrawal into evil. Describing the necessities for corrupting a innocent mind along with relating Goodman to the Devil through their appearance.
Young Goodman Brown is a work of fiction to showcase the disturbing heart of the main character Goodman Brown. From the emphasis on dreams and the characteristics of Goodman, it takes little to see through Goodman’s mask of innocence. Goodman had known his sinful cause of the journey and thought “Faith” can be discarded and re-adopted at will. Hawthorne uses the description of the forest to show the darkness inside Goodman Brown. His description of the mysterious woods and the troublesome mood resembles Goodman as the descriptions get more vivid the deeper he hallucinates.
“The forest, symbol of Brown’s retreat into himeslf, is associated with images suggestive of evil.” (Hurley 3)
For a person to be corrupted, their most significant moral and spiritual advisor have to be lost, therefore anyone would be lacking any forces of morality and virtue to encourage them. Hawthorne uses this strategy to trick his readers into the belief that his hallucination is real, that the main source of evil is not within Goodman Brown himself but released from his community. Goodman’s mind never changes throughout the story, as any description of evil is embedded inside his opinion upon his environment, whether in the lovely town of Salem or the gloomy forest.
“It seems obvious that they are the four people (Goody Cloyse, the minister, Deacon Gookin, and Faith Brown) whose respectability must be destroyed before Goodman Brown can fully commit himself to a belief in the wickedness of the world.” (Hurley 5)
Primarily concerning the characteristics, mind and heart of Goodman Brown, Paul J. Hurley suggests in his literally criticism that the entire story of Young Goodman Brown is concerning Goodman’s withdrawal into evil. Describing the necessities for corrupting a innocent mind along with relating Goodman to the Devil through their appearance.
Young Goodman Brown is a work of fiction to showcase the disturbing heart of the main character Goodman Brown. From the emphasis on dreams and the characteristics of Goodman, it takes little to see through Goodman’s mask of innocence. Goodman had known his sinful cause of the journey and thought “Faith” can be discarded and re-adopted at will. Hawthorne uses the description of the forest to show the darkness inside Goodman Brown. His description of the mysterious woods and the troublesome mood resembles Goodman as the descriptions get more vivid the deeper he hallucinates.
“The forest, symbol of Brown’s retreat into himeslf, is associated with images suggestive of evil.” (Hurley 3)
For a person to be corrupted, their most significant moral and spiritual advisor have to be lost, therefore anyone would be lacking any forces of morality and virtue to encourage them. Hawthorne uses this strategy to trick his readers into the belief that his hallucination is real, that the main source of evil is not within Goodman Brown himself but released from his community. Goodman’s mind never changes throughout the story, as any description of evil is embedded inside his opinion upon his environment, whether in the lovely town of Salem or the gloomy forest.
“It seems obvious that they are the four people (Goody Cloyse, the minister, Deacon Gookin, and Faith Brown) whose respectability must be destroyed before Goodman Brown can fully commit himself to a belief in the wickedness of the world.” (Hurley 5)
Levy, Leo B.
The Problem of Faith in `Young Goodman
Brown’.
Journal of English and Germanic Philology
74.3 (1975): 375-87. Stratford learning resource center. Web. 27 September,
2012.
·
Overall Thesis: Leo B.
Levy examines Faith not only as a character, but also an allegorical figure, and
a symbol.
1)
Main point 1: To really
understand the story we must move outside the limits of the dream or fantasy.
One cannot really comprehend or even enjoy the story if you grasp the story with
a logical basis. One must be able to enter the supernatural world in order to
really understand what is happening to Goodman Brown. Without this psychological
basis that you have to have while reading the story, the story disregards its
meaning.
Ø
“But this
or any other psychological interpretation
restricts our understanding of a story that is cast in religious and
theological terms.”
2)
Main point 2: Leo says
that there are two sides to Faith. One is very calm and lightsome, and the other
in her relation with the powers of darkness. I feel that when Faiths ribbon is
falling from the sky it creates a symbolic continuity between Faith being loyal
to her religion with Goodman Brown and Faith being loyal to the Witches Sabbath.
This split open the mysterious character that Faith is. Knowing that she looks
kind and sweet, could she really be in resemblance with a demonic
ceremony?
Ø
“Faith's most
conspicuous physical characteristic consists of the pink ribbons on her
cap.”
Julian Martin
The Problem of Faith in `Young Goodman
Brown’.
Journal of English and Germanic Philology
74.3 (1975): 375-87. Stratford learning resource center. Web. 27 September,
2012.
·
Overall Thesis: Leo B.
Levy examines Faith not only as a character, but also an allegorical figure, and
a symbol.
1)
Main point 1: To really
understand the story we must move outside the limits of the dream or fantasy.
One cannot really comprehend or even enjoy the story if you grasp the story with
a logical basis. One must be able to enter the supernatural world in order to
really understand what is happening to Goodman Brown. Without this psychological
basis that you have to have while reading the story, the story disregards its
meaning.
Ø
“But this
or any other psychological interpretation
restricts our understanding of a story that is cast in religious and
theological terms.”
2)
Main point 2: Leo says
that there are two sides to Faith. One is very calm and lightsome, and the other
in her relation with the powers of darkness. I feel that when Faiths ribbon is
falling from the sky it creates a symbolic continuity between Faith being loyal
to her religion with Goodman Brown and Faith being loyal to the Witches Sabbath.
This split open the mysterious character that Faith is. Knowing that she looks
kind and sweet, could she really be in resemblance with a demonic
ceremony?
Ø
“Faith's most
conspicuous physical characteristic consists of the pink ribbons on her
cap.”
Julian Martin
An Overview of "Young Goodman Brown"
Korb, Rena. "An Overview of 'Young Goodman Brown.'" Short Stories for Students. (1997): 01-03. Gale Research. Stratford High School Learning Resource Center Web. Thurs. 27 Sept 2012.
Point 1: Korb points out the ambiguity of Young Goodman Brown. She lists several examples of this, including characteristics of Faith, and Goodman Brown himself. In the beginning of the story, Brown sees Faith as an angel, and a perfect example of a good Puritan. As the story progresses, however, it is unclear whether Faith is truly an angel, or a follower of the Devil. According to Korb, the most notable instance of ambiguity is when Goodman Brown finds himself alone in the forest after the “Black Mass,” and neither he nor the reader knows if it was all a dream or if Brown truly did meet with the Devil.
Point 2: Another point Rena Korb makes is that Hawthorne’s story, and different elements of the story, are allegorical. For instance, Faith represents Goodman Brown’s faith in humanity and his religion. Brown’s journey through the forest represents his descent into Hell. All of these different elements from the plot symbolize some aspect of Brown’s religious journey.
Sarah Nash
- In her article “An Overview of ‘Young Goodman Brown’”, Rena Korb reviews Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, discussing the ambiguity and allegorical nature of the story, Puritanism, and the theme of good vs. evil.
Point 1: Korb points out the ambiguity of Young Goodman Brown. She lists several examples of this, including characteristics of Faith, and Goodman Brown himself. In the beginning of the story, Brown sees Faith as an angel, and a perfect example of a good Puritan. As the story progresses, however, it is unclear whether Faith is truly an angel, or a follower of the Devil. According to Korb, the most notable instance of ambiguity is when Goodman Brown finds himself alone in the forest after the “Black Mass,” and neither he nor the reader knows if it was all a dream or if Brown truly did meet with the Devil.
- “Hawthorne adds ambiguity to the story with his suggestion ‘Had Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting’” (3)?
Point 2: Another point Rena Korb makes is that Hawthorne’s story, and different elements of the story, are allegorical. For instance, Faith represents Goodman Brown’s faith in humanity and his religion. Brown’s journey through the forest represents his descent into Hell. All of these different elements from the plot symbolize some aspect of Brown’s religious journey.
- “Faith, his wife, represents his religious devotion. In leaving Faith, Brown forsakes his belief in the godliness of humanity” (2).
Sarah Nash