Knowledge is a very powerful thing, capable of enabling people to discover deep truths and desires within themselves, but it can also be a dangerous burden on those who are willing to receive it. Knowledge has the power to both disturb and enlighten the people who do not turn a blind eye to it. This truth is the underlying principle behind two exceptional stories on the subject of the the power of knowledge and the evil associated with it. Nathaniel Hawthorne 's classic short story “Young Goodman Brown” and Sandra Day O 'Connor 's work “A Good Man is Hard to Find” each explore a scenario in which an individual who has lived a life in ignorance is suddenly granted knowledge by a mysterious figure of evil. Both stories possess elements of allegory
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The man “in grave and decent attire” form “Young Goodman Brown is a much more classical and traditional representation of a demon or the Devil himself, as he carries many of the antiquated signs of evil throughout history, such as appearing at the foot of a tree and being associated with serpents, as he carries a walking stick in the shape of one. These characteristics of Satan date back as far as the Bible, and the man has a charisma and possession of forbidden knowledge that makes the comparison even more obvious. The Misfit from “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” however, is a far more modern and unique representation of evil. He has the appearance of an petty criminal, half dressed and sloppy, which starkly contrasts that of the stranger in Hawthorne 's story, who wears proper clothes and behaves in a very approchable manner. The Misfit appears to be a very simple man, and the knowledge that he imparts upon the grandmother in the story is mostly due to the circumstances that he places her in, as compared to the expositional way that the stranger performs his task. While the stranger leads Young Goodman Brown intentionally to an epiphany, the Misfit accomplishes this task towards the granmother in an entirely happenstance …show more content…
Young Goodman Brown responds very poorly and lives the remainder of life as bitter old curmudgeon that harbors a secret hatred of everyone that he once cared for. He sees himself as a more honest and genuine man than any of his peers and rejects his society and their insincere ways because of what he witnessed in the forest. The Grandmother, on the other hand, has a vastly different response, instead denouncing her conniving lies and mindset of superiority towards the misfit and embraces him as one of her own, in effect bringing herself to his level and realizing that he is not better person than she. In conclusion, these stories exemplify a truth that naivety towards yourself and the people around you can have a major impact on your life. Both relay this information through an interesting representation of a “demonic” figure and both stories contain an enlightenment of their primary characters that challenges the way they see the world. Howe, the unique way these stories are told and the two completely different perspectives that the grandmother and Young Goodman Brown share result in two intriguing stories that will stand the test of time and delight readers for years to
The man “in grave and decent attire” form “Young Goodman Brown is a much more classical and traditional representation of a demon or the Devil himself, as he carries many of the antiquated signs of evil throughout history, such as appearing at the foot of a tree and being associated with serpents, as he carries a walking stick in the shape of one. These characteristics of Satan date back as far as the Bible, and the man has a charisma and possession of forbidden knowledge that makes the comparison even more obvious. The Misfit from “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” however, is a far more modern and unique representation of evil. He has the appearance of an petty criminal, half dressed and sloppy, which starkly contrasts that of the stranger in Hawthorne 's story, who wears proper clothes and behaves in a very approchable manner. The Misfit appears to be a very simple man, and the knowledge that he imparts upon the grandmother in the story is mostly due to the circumstances that he places her in, as compared to the expositional way that the stranger performs his task. While the stranger leads Young Goodman Brown intentionally to an epiphany, the Misfit accomplishes this task towards the granmother in an entirely happenstance …show more content…
Young Goodman Brown responds very poorly and lives the remainder of life as bitter old curmudgeon that harbors a secret hatred of everyone that he once cared for. He sees himself as a more honest and genuine man than any of his peers and rejects his society and their insincere ways because of what he witnessed in the forest. The Grandmother, on the other hand, has a vastly different response, instead denouncing her conniving lies and mindset of superiority towards the misfit and embraces him as one of her own, in effect bringing herself to his level and realizing that he is not better person than she. In conclusion, these stories exemplify a truth that naivety towards yourself and the people around you can have a major impact on your life. Both relay this information through an interesting representation of a “demonic” figure and both stories contain an enlightenment of their primary characters that challenges the way they see the world. Howe, the unique way these stories are told and the two completely different perspectives that the grandmother and Young Goodman Brown share result in two intriguing stories that will stand the test of time and delight readers for years to