Nathaniel Hawthorne as a writer was a paradox or rather, his works conflicted each other, as he wrote about his Puritan heritage through fiction. This conflicting nature would show up in in the themes of his works. This theme appears in two of Hawthorne 's short stories, Young Goodman Brown and The Minister 's Black Veil. However, the theme is presented differently in the two stories. In Young Goodman Brown, the theme is presented more openly and is the center of the story. However, in The Minister’s Black Veil, the theme is more subtle and causes some events to happen. This theme of good vs evil is presented in the two stories, Young Goodman Brown and The Minister’s Black Veil.
The theme of good vs. evil first appears in Young Goodman Brown with the character, Goodman Brown. He is essentially his namesake, he is good. In the beginning, he sets off on an unknown errand into the forest at sunset, leaving his wife Faith for the night. Hawthorne writes that the purpose of this errand is evil and that, Brown has to gather together a resolve to go on this errand(citation). Evil begins to surface during this part of the story. Brown meets a man with a staff and refuses to keep walking, however, he keeps walking. The man talks about how he knows everyone and Brown 's ancestors. The man meets Goody Cloyse, a women Brown knows …show more content…
dark. Everything good happens during the day in this story. In the beginning, Brown leaves at sunset, while everything is still good. He still has his faith and doesn 't know that the entire town is aligned with the devil. It is not day again until he wakes up in the forest. When he returns back to town, everything is normal and good. All the people he had seen during the night are back as if nothing happened. Everything is once again as it was before he left, peaceful and good. The beginning and end of the story happen during the day while most of the story happens during the
The theme of good vs. evil first appears in Young Goodman Brown with the character, Goodman Brown. He is essentially his namesake, he is good. In the beginning, he sets off on an unknown errand into the forest at sunset, leaving his wife Faith for the night. Hawthorne writes that the purpose of this errand is evil and that, Brown has to gather together a resolve to go on this errand(citation). Evil begins to surface during this part of the story. Brown meets a man with a staff and refuses to keep walking, however, he keeps walking. The man talks about how he knows everyone and Brown 's ancestors. The man meets Goody Cloyse, a women Brown knows …show more content…
dark. Everything good happens during the day in this story. In the beginning, Brown leaves at sunset, while everything is still good. He still has his faith and doesn 't know that the entire town is aligned with the devil. It is not day again until he wakes up in the forest. When he returns back to town, everything is normal and good. All the people he had seen during the night are back as if nothing happened. Everything is once again as it was before he left, peaceful and good. The beginning and end of the story happen during the day while most of the story happens during the