In Nathaniel Hawthorne's “Young Goodman Brown” irony is used to display just how different Brown thinks the world is, versus reality. Everything that is shown in plain sight, is only the mask so a greater scheme behind the curtain of Salem. In Brown’s world, he comes from a long line of innocent, Christian men, and a place where the minister is only that and the people of the church are the purest who will go straight to heaven. He believes that church bells are sweet and the choir is but a way to praise the great lord, when in reality everything is but the opposite and he too is taking two steps forward, and one step back and his journey through life. Brown thinks of himself as a beacon whose light is now going dark and turning to the devil’s
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Not very far into his walk with the devil, Brown exclaims, “‘Too far! Too far!’” but then suddenly find himself “unconsciously resuming his walk” (Hawthorne 2). This is showing that Brown does in fact have the presence of mind to stop and think about what he is doing. The only problem is that because man is always drawn to evil, he keeps walking despite what he said. There must be a pull that is making him go forward even with a slightly clear conscience. As said before, he keeps walking but as he is moving, he is also thinking eventually saying to the devil, “‘ Friend,’ said he stubbornly, ‘my mind is made up. Not another step will I budge on this errand’” (Hawthorne 4).Once again, a step back from what he is doing, gaining a clearer view of this errand. This is because he is now comfortable enough to call the devil his friend and truthfully share what he wants. Despite this, Brown’s comfort level with the devil push him forward once more. However, upon arriving at the ceremony he finds his loved one and gains full clarity as he cries to her, “‘look up to heaven, and resist the wicked one’...hardly had he spoken when he found himself amid calm night and solitude” (Hawthorne 7). This was Brown’s final step to repel the evil, and upon this instant, was put back into solitude and thrust away. This is the moment that Brown did not accept the evil into his heart …show more content…
On Brown’s excursion he is faced with the facts that his loved ones are the opposite of what he thought them to be, the church is filled with evil, and he himself is against himself in an upward battle. The story is being told in a way that there are layers and comparisons that although are the opposite of what is intended to be said in general, support what Brown is experiencing as he finds himself choosing how he wants to love his
Not very far into his walk with the devil, Brown exclaims, “‘Too far! Too far!’” but then suddenly find himself “unconsciously resuming his walk” (Hawthorne 2). This is showing that Brown does in fact have the presence of mind to stop and think about what he is doing. The only problem is that because man is always drawn to evil, he keeps walking despite what he said. There must be a pull that is making him go forward even with a slightly clear conscience. As said before, he keeps walking but as he is moving, he is also thinking eventually saying to the devil, “‘ Friend,’ said he stubbornly, ‘my mind is made up. Not another step will I budge on this errand’” (Hawthorne 4).Once again, a step back from what he is doing, gaining a clearer view of this errand. This is because he is now comfortable enough to call the devil his friend and truthfully share what he wants. Despite this, Brown’s comfort level with the devil push him forward once more. However, upon arriving at the ceremony he finds his loved one and gains full clarity as he cries to her, “‘look up to heaven, and resist the wicked one’...hardly had he spoken when he found himself amid calm night and solitude” (Hawthorne 7). This was Brown’s final step to repel the evil, and upon this instant, was put back into solitude and thrust away. This is the moment that Brown did not accept the evil into his heart …show more content…
On Brown’s excursion he is faced with the facts that his loved ones are the opposite of what he thought them to be, the church is filled with evil, and he himself is against himself in an upward battle. The story is being told in a way that there are layers and comparisons that although are the opposite of what is intended to be said in general, support what Brown is experiencing as he finds himself choosing how he wants to love his