Of Wanderings & Such

Young Goodman Brown

There's something in the title of this story that pulls together the cause and consequence relationship that Hawthorne's built for the reader. At the very least, it raises a few questions about Brown's senility, or lack thereof. For instance, how young was Goodman Brown if his mind had been influenced so easily by what he had seen, or thought he had seen? I wonder if age played in as an influencing factor. I remember reading this story a few years ago in Introduction to Literature, but it didn't seem so vivid then as it does now. Possibly because now I've learned a lot more about Christianity and the early settlers.

I mention Christianity because Hawthorne alludes to Christianity at several instances in the story, even before his protagonist comes across the wild ritual. If the dark imagery and foreshadowing in the beginning weren't enough, he likens the staff of the man in the woodsn to a serpent.

"But the only thing about him that could be fixed upon as remarkable, was his staff, which 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" (311).

It seems to me that this story was written to place the fear of God in the hearts of the readers. The characters come across as Puritans, and a little research shows that Puritans were extremely cynical when it came to saving the people from themselves and from the wrath of God. Considering my non-Christian background, this is news to me. The little overview of Puritanism that I've linked to above certainly helps explain the concepts brought to light in the story.

For instance, the derogatory status conferred upon the natives living on the land.

"'There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree,' said Goodman Brown to himself..." (310).

Clearly, there's a definite distinction between the "us" and "them" here, which also helps the reader to understand the social conditions prevalent at the turn of the 18th century.

And then there's the constant struggle between good and evil, righteousness and temptation, and also a sense of the abandonment of the faith professed so ardently.

"'My Faith is gone!' cried he, after one stupefied moment. 'There is no good on earth, and sin is but a name. Come, devil! for to thee the world is given'" (314).

The word "faith" is personified in more ways than one, but there's a certain cynicism regarding the state of the world. What could have possibly happened to make a man doubt his existence and his belief in God to such an extent? I'm not sure of the answer, but the consequences are clearly visible. Shame, guilt, and remorse become the only resolution for living with broken faith. Perhaps because the heathen ritual was a little more than Brown could fathom. It's interesting to see how far people can push themselves in the name of religion.

For those interested, here's a little something on the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

Posted by NehaBawa at September 4, 2005 08:55 PM | TrackBack