Through two different journeys, “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce, we see messages expressed through the use of symbolism. Symbolism is used as “a substitute for the elements being signified” and they allow authors to provide a more meaningful message than a mere description could (332). In “Young Goodman Brown” and “Araby” we see similarities in the use of symbolism to explore questions about religious faith and the protagonists’ search for answers; but each of these stories include different representations of objects and places. For example, “Young Goodman Brown” includes color and object representations to emphasize his struggles throughout his quest while “Araby” uses the foreign world of the East
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An important idea to mention is the main character’s crush, Mangan’s sister. Throughout the story, there is a presence of light whenever Mangan’s sister is mentioned. For example, “[s]he was waiting for us, her figure defined by the light from the half-opened door” (Joyce 243) and “the light from the lamp opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck” (244). This could imply the use of religion and the comparison of her to the Virgin Mary, who is usually surrounded by light or halo which emphasizes her purity. He sees her as an object of worship, often saying prayers about her that he doesn’t fully understand himself (243). His strange infatuation with her may be confused with his want for someone to believe in or look up to. This could also represent how young children start to question their faith and become confused about their feelings as they get …show more content…
“Young Goodman Brown” uses the symbolism of objects and colors in regards to faith to portray a story about a man on a journey of good and evil. In “Araby,” there is a focus on religion and hints about illusions that characters may have had about the East. These stories may not appear similar on the surface, but they have deep connections on each of the protagonists’ search for answers. The use of symbolism is important for these stories because it allows the authors to provide a more meaningful message than a mere description could and they allow a deeper picture of the hidden themes that may be
An important idea to mention is the main character’s crush, Mangan’s sister. Throughout the story, there is a presence of light whenever Mangan’s sister is mentioned. For example, “[s]he was waiting for us, her figure defined by the light from the half-opened door” (Joyce 243) and “the light from the lamp opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck” (244). This could imply the use of religion and the comparison of her to the Virgin Mary, who is usually surrounded by light or halo which emphasizes her purity. He sees her as an object of worship, often saying prayers about her that he doesn’t fully understand himself (243). His strange infatuation with her may be confused with his want for someone to believe in or look up to. This could also represent how young children start to question their faith and become confused about their feelings as they get …show more content…
“Young Goodman Brown” uses the symbolism of objects and colors in regards to faith to portray a story about a man on a journey of good and evil. In “Araby,” there is a focus on religion and hints about illusions that characters may have had about the East. These stories may not appear similar on the surface, but they have deep connections on each of the protagonists’ search for answers. The use of symbolism is important for these stories because it allows the authors to provide a more meaningful message than a mere description could and they allow a deeper picture of the hidden themes that may be