Nathaniel Hawthorne was a renowned writer who exemplified the characteristics of anti-Transcendentalists even before the idea of Transcendentalism became a cornerstone of American literature. He often wrote about the hypocrisies of the Puritan time period, and he uses many symbols to allude to his thoughts. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famous short story, “Young Goodman Brown,” a young man embarks on a journey through dark woods and finds the hypocrisy in Puritans. Subtle irony is rampant in Hawthorne’s work. Goodman Brown begins his journey at the beginning of the night, a symbol of evil time, since the sun, representative of God, leaves. He leaves his Faith behind, the name symbolizing both the name of his pure wife of three months, the months
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The Devil is symbolized with his “staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake.” In literature, the snake is symbolic of the Devil. The man looks remarkably close to an older version of Goodman Brown, and by presenting the Devil as physically similar to the protagonist, Hawthorne comments on the human tendency to be evil and how easily humans can stray to their darker sides. Some irony is shown when Young Goodman Brown refuses to acknowledge both his sins, and the sins of his forefathers. While Hawthorne does not explicitly state Brown has committed a crime, by Brown claiming to be the only man in his family to explore the dark path, Hawthorne implies Brown has sinned. After vehemently denying Brown’s family was pure, the Devil speaks of otherwise and lists some of the crimes Brown’s ancestors have committed and hidden. Sin was abundant in the Puritan time period, but it was seemingly subdued by the refusal to acknowledge it.The hypocrisy is most apparent when the traveler and guide of Brown mentions the most powerful people in Brown’s town, the ones who often claim to be the most pious and devout, straying off the path to God in favor for mortal vices and success. Even Brown’s closest correspondents and the people who raised him are not immune to the influence of the Devil and the dark path. Brown suddenly realizes the people who loved and admired are spreading Christianity while simultaneously being the most
The Devil is symbolized with his “staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake.” In literature, the snake is symbolic of the Devil. The man looks remarkably close to an older version of Goodman Brown, and by presenting the Devil as physically similar to the protagonist, Hawthorne comments on the human tendency to be evil and how easily humans can stray to their darker sides. Some irony is shown when Young Goodman Brown refuses to acknowledge both his sins, and the sins of his forefathers. While Hawthorne does not explicitly state Brown has committed a crime, by Brown claiming to be the only man in his family to explore the dark path, Hawthorne implies Brown has sinned. After vehemently denying Brown’s family was pure, the Devil speaks of otherwise and lists some of the crimes Brown’s ancestors have committed and hidden. Sin was abundant in the Puritan time period, but it was seemingly subdued by the refusal to acknowledge it.The hypocrisy is most apparent when the traveler and guide of Brown mentions the most powerful people in Brown’s town, the ones who often claim to be the most pious and devout, straying off the path to God in favor for mortal vices and success. Even Brown’s closest correspondents and the people who raised him are not immune to the influence of the Devil and the dark path. Brown suddenly realizes the people who loved and admired are spreading Christianity while simultaneously being the most