The Powerful Settings of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown...

The 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 wife Faith Brown, who is desperately trying to dissuade him from leaving the house tonight. In this setting, the main elements induce feelings that are positive, bright, and hopeful – a sunset, a familiar street and home, and the pink ribbons in†¦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 broughtShow MoreRelatedAnalysis 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 MoreBrowns Fall Essay1998 Words   |  8 PagesThe setting of a work can be the most p owerful literary devices an author uses in their work. Setting refers to a location or time in which a work is set. Setting has a wide range of possibilities. The setting of a work may be as simple as a single room or may be as complex as the author or characters psychological state of mind. Authors can use setting to enhance the theme of their works. One author in particular is Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† in 1835. HisRead MoreApproaching Nathaniel Hawthorne Insight538 Words   |  2 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne wrote one of the most studied short story in literature, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. This short story is widely use because of the deep meaning and strong internal attachment it has with the reader. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts his family had been early settlers, one of his great-grandfather was a judge during the Salem witch trials and had twenty-five women killed. 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Brown learns the nature of evil and, therefore, feelsRead More Allegory, Symbolism, and Madness – Comparing the Demons of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne3842 Words   |  16 Pagesand observing nature. Poe’s writing allows the reader to observe man’s thoughts and behaviors from within his mind and demonstrates how his behavior influences his surroundings. As opposed to Hawthorne’s writing, where a man’s behavior is affected from outside influences, as such, placing him in settings that will manipulate his emotional and ment al behavior in an effort to deliver a moral theme. Each author would write their own version of a Gothic tale that would spin the reader’s imaginationRead More The Power of Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay3056 Words   |  13 Pagesand strict rules. Therefore, he did not try very hard, but in 1825 he graduated, eighteenth in a class of thirty-eight that included such people as Franklin Pierce, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Hawthorne himself. The next thirteen years of Hawthornes life were years of isolation, as he struggled to become the writer he dreamed of being. He returned to Salem, living once again in the Manning house, to which his mother also had returned. He remained for the most part shut up in his room, writingRead MoreThe History of American Literature3501 Words   |  15 Pagesprovided material for American fiction. While still religious in tone and purpose, captivity narratives emphasized the experiences of individuals. They also incorporated many of the fundamentals of fiction, making use of characters, dramatic action and setting. The Salem witch trials of 1692 were another period in early American history that affected literature. As accusations of witchcraft in a Massachusetts town resulted in the execution of 14 women and 6 men, Cotton Mathers The Wonders of the InvisibleRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pagesoccupy an entire chapter or more. 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