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Hawthorne - Young Goodman Brown - Short Fiction Prose Timed Write

Prompt

  • Even when the narrators do not appear as characters in the stories they relate, they often exhibit personalities, opinions, and viewpoints. In a well-written essay, analyze ways in which the narrator employs such resources as connotation, symbol, and foreshadowing to convey an attitude toward Goodman Brown and the community he lives in.
  • As noted previously, a literary symbol is something that means more than what it suggests on the surface. Consider Reverend Hooper's veil in "The Minister's Black Veil," and in a well-written essay, analyze how the veil's literal and symbolic meaning combine to shape the meaning of the story as a whole.

Response

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," the narrator plays a crucial role in shaping the reader’s understanding of the main character, Goodman, using aspects of connotation and symbolism to convey a critical and somewhat cynical attitude toward both the character and the society.

The narrator’s choice of words, specifically through the names of characters, carries strong connotations that contribute to the portrayal of Goodman Brown and his community. For example, the name "Goodman Brown" itself is significant, "Goodman" is a common term of address for a man of lower social status. Through the use of status, the narrator most likely conveys this notion since Goodman is ordinary, ideas of morality within his community should be relatively simple to uphold and maintain. Through Goodman's journey in the forest, the narrator demonstrates an example representative of the human experience: Goodman grapples with doubt, temptation, and ultimately, the loss of faith. This choice of name highlights the universality of Goodman Brown’s experience, suggesting a broader commentary on the human condition and the struggle with faith and morality.

The character of Faith is als an intended pun by the narrator, with the intent of communicating religious connotations. In a sense, she is a symbol of Goodman's personal faith as well as the broader religious faith of the community. The narrator’s depiction of Goodman's thoughts about Faith creates of this view of hypocrisy and even irony. By stating his intention to "cling ot her skirts and follow her to heaven" before heading in the forest, Goodman Brown reveals his dependence on his wife - not only own moral, but also spiritual guidance. This dependency raises questions about the stability of his faith and suggests a cynical view of religious conviction as something that is easily swayed and externally dependent - given the fact of what goes down in the story.

The narrator in "Young Goodman Brown" employs connotation, symbolism, and a critical tone to explore the themes of faith, morality, and the complexity of human nature, casting a critical and almost questioning view elements of Goodman's personality as well as society as a whole. Using their names and the literal associations of the words that are comprised within the name, the narrator sets the stage to juxtapose their connotations and symbolic meaning with the events that actually occur during the story. This ultimately leads the audience pondering the relationship between society, faith, and morals.