The Structure of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay

â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† – the Structure Q. D. Leavis in â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet† mentions Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† as â€Å"essentially dramatic† : â€Å"The first batch of works I specified [including â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†] is essentially dramatic, its use of language is poetic, and it is symbolic, and richly so, as is the dramatic poet’s. . . â€Å" (27) This essay will examine this and other features of the structure of Hawthorne’s short story. Leavis’ evaluation of the story’s structure as â€Å"essentially dramatic† is consistent with the view expressed by Clarice Swisher in â€Å"Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography.† She states: â€Å"Biographers and critics of Nathaniel Hawthorne must deal with opposites – determination†¦show more content†¦Say thy prayers, dear Faith, and go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee. Goodman’s opposite, Faith, leads off the dialogue; her opposite, Goodman, responds; then she responds to him; then he responds to her. Back and forth, like actors on a stage. Isn’t it obvious why critics say that â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is written in â€Å"dramatic† form or structure? Is the dramatic structure continued through the length of the tale? A. N. Kaul maintains that Hawthorne â€Å"introduced into the art of prose narrative a severe, if not always sustained, sense of structure. . . . â€Å" (3) For this reason we see the back-and-forth verbal exchange continue all along the journey to the coven site: Come, Goodman Brown! cried his fellow-traveller, this is a dull pace for the beginning of a journey. Take my staff, if you are so soon weary. Friend, said the other, exchanging his slow pace for a full stop, having kept covenant by meeting thee here, it is my purpose now to return whence I came. I have scruples, touching the matter thou wotst of. Sayest thou so? replied he of the serpent, smiling apart. Let us walk on, nevertheless, reasoning as we go, and if I convince thee not, thou shalt turn back. We are but a little way in the forest, yet. Too far, too far! exclaimed the goodman, unconsciously resuming his walk. My father never went into the woods on such an errand, norShow MoreRelated Structure of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay example1216 Words   |  5 PagesStructure of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚         â€Å"Almost all literary theorists since Aristotle have emphasized the importance of structure, conceived in diverse ways, in analyzing a work of literature† (Abrams 300). This essay will explore some interesting points in the structure of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† considering the time-frame, foreshadowing, suspenseful incidents, climax and denouement (Axelrod 337).    The narrative in this tale is straightforward until the narratorRead More Ambiguity and Uncertainty in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown1512 Words   |  7 PagesAmbiguity and Uncertainty in Young Goodman Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne, through the use of deceptive imagery, creates a sense of uncertainty that illuminates the theme of mans inability to operate within a framework of moral absolutism.   Within every man there is an innate difference between good and evil and Hawthornes deliberate use of ambiguity mirrors this complexity of human nature. 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Brown’sRead More The Deeper Meanings of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1945 Words   |  8 PagesThe Deeper Meanings of Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown, a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, should be interpreted on a psychoanalytical level rather than a religious one. It is my observation that Young Goodman Brown may very well be the first published work alluding to divisions of the mind and personality theory. Although religion is a direct theme throughout the story, Young Goodman Brown appears to be an allegory with deeper meanings. To explore properly my positionRead More The Symbolism of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2725 Words   |  11 PagesThe Symbolism of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† shows the reader the author’s power as a symbolist.    Frederick C. Crews in â€Å"The Logic of Compulsion in ‘Roger Malvin’s Burial’† explores the symbology that prevails in Hawthorne’s best short stories:    . . . I chose this one tale to analyze because it illustrates the indispensability, and I should even say the priority, of understanding the literal psychological dramasRead MoreElements of Fiction in Young Goodman Brown Essays1761 Words   |  8 Pagesof Fiction are Used in Hawthorns Young Goodman Brown Desiree Terry English Composition II 23 February 2012 Outline Introduction Thesis: Hawthorne uses the Elements of fiction in Young Goodman Brown to depict a story of his family’s history and religious background. I Hawthorne uses time periods, location and physical structure settings that all relate to the Purity society and his historical family story. A. The first setting in young Goodman brown was set in Salem village. This isRead MoreThe Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne1426 Words   |  6 PagesLiterature can be especially revealing in the values and societal structure of the time period during which it was written. For example, in the time of ancient Greece, a matriarchy was prominent, demonstrated by their myths and stories that worshipped female gods or mother-like creators. Later, in the early 1800’s, a patriarchy was strongly evident in American literature. Women were portrayed as weak and appearance-centered beings who had no value, while men were presented as strong heroes who hadRead More Symbolism in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay examples2488 Words   |  10 Pages     Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† is rich in symbolism, as this essay will amply illustrate. Hugo McPherson in â€Å"Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology† explains how the author’s â€Å"inner drama† may be expressed in his symbolism: The imaginative foundation of a writer’s work may well be an inner drama or ‘hidden life’ in which his deepest interests and conflicts are transformed into images or characters; and through the symbolic play of these creations, he comes to ‘know’ the meaning