Young Goodman Brown Why We Read It
There are several novels in the huge field of literature that are currently being studied in classrooms. A number of these books or novels have become iconic for the growth of a culture and a nation since the majority of them depict historical events that occurred in the distant past. Despite the fact that some of them are just imagination based on truth, they depict emotions and experiences that individuals might have gone through.
These books provide us with a wealth of information about the past and how people lived their lives back then. Young Goodman Brown is one of the books from the Salem witch trials era that we still read today and that has become legendary in the United States. The fascination that people have had with witches and wizards extends back hundreds of years, to a time when society oppressed individuals who were suspected of being witches.
Due to the fact that the practice of magic was incompatible with religious beliefs, witch trials were held all across the globe. Despite the fact that Young Goodman Brown is a novel from the past, it may still include certain aspects that are relevant today. As more and more individuals choose to journey back in time via the pages of this book, let us investigate why we continue to read it.
The Story’s Plot
American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne is regarded as one of the most well-known and prominent writers in the country’s literary history. His stories and books are still taught in classrooms today, with The Scarlet Letter being the most well-known of all. Young Goodman Brown, on the other hand, is representative of the company’s growth and progress as a writer.
The action of the novel takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, during the 1600s, during the time of the infamous witch trials.
There’s this young guy named Goodman Brown who lives with his wife, Faith, in the neighborhood. Three months have passed since their wedding, and one night, Young Goodman Brown decides to go into the forest to do an errand for his wife.
Despite his wife’s attempts to dissuade him, he insists on going, which he eventually does. In the wilderness, he comes upon a guy who appears very identical to him, except that he is much older. He also has an unusual walking cane in the shape of a snake, which is something to notice about him.
As they go farther into the jungle, they come upon an elderly lady. She is known as Goody Cloyse, and she has been a symbol of the old doctrine since Young Goodman Brown first saw her when he was a child. She had taught him all of the doctrinal manuals and prayers, as well as introducing him to the Puritanism religion he now practices.
As they leave the elderly lady behind because she is unable to walk, Young Goodman Brown notices an increasing number of individuals who seem to be heading to the same location in the forest.
He is startled when he hears his wife Faith screaming for him and decides to go in search of her. The two of them manage to make it to a spring where all of the people from the hamlet have congregated and where he and his wife must be introduced. He portrays this location as an altar with fire, and he exhorts Faith to stand her ground.
The scene evaporates in a moment, and he goes home with no knowledge of whether it was a dream or a real-life occurrence. But when he returns, he is a different man, a guy who does not trust anybody, not even his own family.
What is it about it that we still read?
As numerous literary professors and critics have pointed out, this story is filled with hints and riddles that must be discovered. According to authors from EduZaurus, Hawthorne is attempting to depict the experience of living through the Salem witch trials.
This is due to the fact that his great-great-grandfather served as a judge during that time period. And despite the fact that Nathaniel has just recently learned about this, he has opted to include a W in his given name (from Hathorne to Hawthorne).
They are all descriptive names that are symbolic of their respective roles in the plot. The main character is just a young goodman who follows the Puritan regulations to the letter. Meanwhile, Hawthorne utilized this story to confront some of the Puritan notions that mankind is doomed to dwell in sin, which were addressed in his other works.
Despite the fact that there is no precise description or reference of the Salem witch trials, there seem to be indications regarding them hidden between the lines of the novel. This is true not just in the instance of Young Goodman Brown, but also in the case of The Scarlet Letter. Due to the author’s obsession with those events, which sprang mostly from his family’s participation in them, more of his books or stories include hidden hints.
The narrative revolves on a guy who has lost his faith in mankind (both in his wife and in himself, which he refers to as “my faith,” a paradoxical term he has created) and has become gloomy and skeptical. However, during that night, he loses his confidence in Puritan ideas as well, and he rejects all that is associated with them.
When you are a student, reading about Nathaniel Hawthorne can help you comprehend the strong beliefs that the Puritans have disseminated across the United States since the 1600s.
Writing student essays on the action and hidden clues of this story might be a difficult task for many students, but it is not impossible to do. It is a wonderful narrative that is representative of the time period in which it was written in the 1800s. In addition, it depicts the author’s conflicted sentiments and emotions that tie him to his past.
Author bio: Judy Nelson is a content writer and weekly contributor who works with newspapers and journals all around the globe, as well as on her own projects. Judy’s works are mostly focused on literature. She is also a book reviewer who publishes pieces in which she expresses her opinions.