Structure of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay example

Structure of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† â€Å"Almost all literary theorists since Aristotle have emphasized the importance of structure, conceived in diverse ways, in analyzing a work of literature† (Abrams 300). This essay will explore some interesting points in the structure of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† considering the time-frame, foreshadowing, suspenseful incidents, climax and denouement (Axelrod 337). The narrative in this tale is straightforward until the narrator, late in the story, asks the reader: Had Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest, and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting?† This query gives the reader the option of believing that the story is mostly a dream. The tale†¦show more content†¦The husband cast one look at his pale wife, and Faith at him. What polluted wretches would the next glance show them to each other, shuddering alike at what they disclosed and what they saw! Faith! Faith! cried the husband. Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One! Whether Faith obeyed, he knew not. Hardly had he spoken, when he found himself amid calm night and solitude, listening to a roar of the wind, which died heavily away through the forest. He staggered against the rock, and felt it chill and damp, while a hanging twig, that had been all on fire, besprinkled his cheek with the coldest dew. In this passage Goodman awakens from his dream in the woods. Or is it a dream? When he returns to Salem village the following morning, the conduct of the townspeople is so natural and unruffled that the author interposes the question: â€Å"Had Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest, and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting?† This dream motif carries over from the very beginning of the story. Points of suspense occur throughout the story: whenShow MoreRelated The Structure of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1968 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Young Goodman Brown† – the Structure  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Q. D. Leavis in â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet† mentions Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† as â€Å"essentially dramatic† : â€Å"The first batch of works I specified [including â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†] is essentially dramatic, its use of language is poetic, and it is symbolic, and richly so, as is the dramatic poet’s. . . â€Å" (27) This essay will examine this and other features of the structure of Hawthorne’s short story.    Leavis’ evaluation ofRead More Ambiguity and Uncertainty in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown1512 Words   |  7 PagesAmbiguity and Uncertainty in Young Goodman Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne, through the use of deceptive imagery, creates a sense of uncertainty that illuminates the theme of mans inability to operate within a framework of moral absolutism.   Within every man there is an innate difference between good and evil and Hawthornes deliberate use of ambiguity mirrors this complexity of human nature. Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown, is misled by believing in the perfectibilityRead MoreFiction Essay - Young Goodman Brown and the Lottery1051 Words   |  5 PagesLottery† and Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† reveals that different literary elements, such as tone and setting, are used to convey the characters’ arrival at dark, sinister places. II. INTRODUCTION III. SHIRLEY JACKSON’S â€Å"THE LOTTERY† A. Setting the tone: Peaceful and relaxing B. Irony: Even though the mood is relaxing, there is a premonition of something bad to come C. Ending: The ending is implied IV. NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S â€Å"YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN† D. SettingRead MoreCompare and Contrast Essat Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown and Thomas Wolfes The Child by Tiger1683 Words   |  7 Pagescompare and contrast essay Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Good man Brown and Thomas Wolfes The Child By Tiger @@@@@ ENGL: Literature and Composition 2011 Robert James Tebow 15 December 2011 Introduction: I. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and Thomas Wolfe’s short story â€Å"The Child by Tiger† show glaring similarities in many parts of each stories structure. Even though these stories were set in different time periods and different cultures, there is unityRead MoreComparison Of Young Goodman Brown And The Yellow Wallpaper1211 Words   |  5 Pages In the two short stories, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and The Yellow Wallpaper, † both protagonists, Goodman Brown and Jane’s obsession over an idea ultimately leads to their realization of their ‘failed’ judgement and the formation of a new opinion, which consequently results in the deterioration of their mental well-being. To begin, in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Brown’s beliefs are tested to the fullest extent when he discovers that his wife, Faith has succumbed to the involvement of witchcraft. Brown’sRead More The Deeper Meanings of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1945 Words   |  8 PagesThe Deeper Meanings of Young Goodman Brown 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. To explore properly my positionRead More The Symbolism of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2725 Words   |  11 PagesThe Symbolism of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† shows the reader the author’s power as a symbolist.    Frederick C. Crews in â€Å"The Logic of Compulsion in ‘Roger Malvin’s Burial’† explores the symbology that prevails in Hawthorne’s best short stories:    . . . I chose this one tale to analyze because it illustrates the indispensability, and I should even say the priority, of understanding the literal psychological dramasRead MoreElements of Fiction in Young Goodman Brown Essays1761 Words   |  8 Pagesof Fiction are Used in Hawthorns Young Goodman Brown Desiree Terry English Composition II 23 February 2012 Outline Introduction Thesis: Hawthorne uses the Elements of fiction in Young Goodman Brown to depict a story of his family’s history and religious background. I Hawthorne uses time periods, location and physical structure settings that all relate to the Purity society and his historical family story. A. The first setting in young Goodman brown was set in Salem village. This isRead MoreThe Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne1426 Words   |  6 PagesLiterature can be especially revealing in the values and societal structure of the time period during which it was written. For example, in the time of ancient Greece, a matriarchy was prominent, demonstrated by their myths and stories that worshipped female gods or mother-like creators. Later, in the early 1800’s, a patriarchy was strongly evident in American literature. Women were portrayed as weak and appearance-centered beings who had no value, while men were presented as strong heroes who hadRead More Symbolism in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay examples2488 Words   |  10 Pages     Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† is rich in symbolism, as this essay will amply illustrate. Hugo McPherson in â€Å"Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology† explains how the author’s â€Å"inner drama† may be expressed in his symbolism: The imaginative foundation of a writer’s work may well be an inner drama or ‘hidden life’ in which his deepest interests and conflicts are transformed into images or characters; and through the symbolic play of these creations, he comes to ‘know’ the meaning