Essay on The Setting of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown

The Setting of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† This essay will examine the main physical settings within Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† These are four in number and begin and end in the village of Salem. The tale opens at Goodman and Faith Brown’s house, in the doorway where the protagonist is telling his wife goodbye, and where she is trying to dissuade him from his planned adventure on this particular night. Most of the elements in this setting are positive, bright, hopeful: a sunset; a familiar street and home; pink ribbons on Faith’s cap. As Goodman departs and walks down the street past the meeting-house, his physical setting begins to deteriorate as he turns onto a dreary road, darkened by all†¦show more content†¦The fellow-traveller’s staff â€Å"bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought, that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent.† Bringing a large black snake into the physical setting is indeed one way to dramatically ratchet-up the tension and the foreboding of ill. In this passage the narrator identifies the traveller with the snake: Sayest thou so? replied he of the serpent, smiling apart.† In turn, the traveller identifies the forbears of Goodman with part of the physical setting, namely the path through the woods: Well said, Goodman Brown! I have been as well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and thats no trifle to say. I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman so smartly through the streets of Salem. And it was I that brought your father a pitch-pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to an Indian village, in King Philips War. They were my good friends, both; and many a pleasant walk have we had along this path [my italics], and returned merrily after midnight. I would fain be friends with you, for their sake. Goody Cloyse is also connected with this part of the physical setting: â€Å"As he spoke, heShow MoreRelated The Setting of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1936 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Young Goodman Brown† – the Setting  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚         Clarice Swisher in â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography† states that â€Å"critics of Nathaniel Hawthorne must deal with . . . imagery of light and dark† (13). There are more dimensions to Hawthorne’s setting in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† than light and dark, but these aspects do play a part. It is the purpose of this essay to explore the elements in the setting in this short story: the general locale, the historical time, the social circumstances in whichRead More The Powerful Settings of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1688 Words   |  7 PagesThe Powerful Settings of Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown Setting can be a powerful literary device, and Nathaniel Hawthorne wields it to great effect. There are four major settings in Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† and they all take place in Salem. This essay is an examination of those settings and their effects. The tale opens in a doorway as the reader is presented with two lovers saying goodbye. The two lovers are Goodman Brown, who is eager to leave for his adventure; and his wifeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Young Goodman Brown And The Devil And Tom Walker 1219 Words   |  5 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne and Washington Irving are two of the most prolific and successful writers of their era. Hawthorne’s, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a story about a man, Goodman Brown who happens to set out on a trip for an evil purpose. On the way he meets a man who offers him his staff, saying that it might help him walk faster, but Goodman Brown refuses and wishes to return back to his village for the sake of his wife, Faith. On the other hand, Irving’s, â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker† is about an individualRead MoreFiction Essay - Young Goodman Brown and the Lottery1051 Words   |  5 Pagesand Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† reveals that different li terary 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. Setting theRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown and The Fall of the House of Usher964 Words   |  4 PagesWhile reading â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, I couldn’t help but feel a constant overwhelming sense of dread. The root of this could have come from the story’s dark setting deep within an â€Å"haunted forest† or from Brown’s mysterious â€Å"Devil†-esque companion. While I read, another story came into my mind; the story of the â€Å"Fall of the House of Usher† by Edgar Allan Poe. In Poe’s tale the same heart pounding emotion can be felt as he describes the reunion of two friends within â€Å"the HouseRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown, by Nathaniel Hawthorne865 Words   |  4 Pagesequally, if not more, serpent-like staff carrying dark companion. This respectable man is Young Goodman Brown, as portrayed in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. The forest is only a sm all part of the setting, as this also takes place in a village in Salem Massachusetts and surrounding area the year 1692. The mood is heavy with superstition, confusion, doubt, betrayal, and shallowness. Goodman Brown sets the exposition as he parts with his sweet, pink-capped wife, Faith, to leave atRead MoreNathaniel Hawthornes Literature During Early America1560 Words   |  7 PagesNathaniel Hawthornes literature exhibits the influence of many factors. Much of his literature addresses Puritan culture in early America, commonly focusing on the shortcomings and hypocrisies that became apparent during the numerous witch hunts. Many of his works are allegorical, using the Puritan setting to portray his own ideas about ancestry, history, and religion. While The Scarlet Letter and House of the Seven Gables are among Hawthornes most known works, he produced a large sum of workRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown from a Moral Standpoint1352 Words   |  6 PagesHawthorne discovered that h is ancestors were founders and Puritan leaders of the Salem witch trials. Shortly after this tragic finding, he wrote â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† a tale that is considered one of the greatest in American literature. Analyzing Nathaniel Hawthorne’s work from a moral perspective can help illuminate his short story: â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† Hawthorne was both prideful and embarrassed in the actions of his ancestors. According to Jacqueline Shoemaker, Hawthorne felt pride in seeingRead MoreAnalysis Of Hawthorne s The Man s Fall 1438 Words   |  6 PagesCalvinistic, and ancient beliefs that form the basis of Hawthorne’s work (Hawthorne 392). Besides, the researcher notes that Hawthorne’s life is authentic although fictional. There is a psychological aspect of the story in that the man’s fall is unavoidable. The narration contains metaphoric and literal journey of the newlywed male character. However, he is making the treacherous journey with the devil himself therefore creating a spiritual crisis. Goodman Brown’s decision is ambiguous to his audience becauseRead MoreThe Brown s A Forest, And The Devil !1742 Words   |  7 PagesThe Brown’s, A Forest, and The Devil! Oh My Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† tells a tale of when man, who is supposedly good in nature, faces temptation and evil head on. The story, much like the tale of Adam Eve, is an allegory for the evil and selfishness of mankind; for young Goodman Brown s fight with his inner temptations and his outward struggle with the devil himself represents mankind s lost encounter within the battle of good and evil. Though it is not clear whether the events in