hing more than pleasure, it hardly justifies itself as a subject of
serious study. Unless it expands or refines our minds or quickens our
sense of life, its value is not appreciably greater than that of video
games, bridge, or Ping-Pong. To have a compelling claim on our attention,
it must yield not only enjoyment but also understanding (Perrine, 4).
Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown describes social
stratification that results from a religious hierarchy. In Young
Goodman Brown, a Puritan man's beliefs are shattered when he discovers that
his wife, fellow townspeople, and even religious leaders are attending a
Black Mass. Throughout the story, it is unclear if Brown is in the midst of
a nightmare, or if his experience is real. He cannot forgive the
possibility of evil that exists in those that he knows and loves, and dies
a sorrowful and troubled man. Hawthorne writes "(Young Goodman Brown) had
lived long, and was borne to his grave a hoary corpse, followed by Faith,
an aged woman, and children and grandchildren, a goodly procession, besides
neighbors not a few, they carved no hopeful verse upon his tombstone, for
Within Young Goodman Brown, the protagonist sees the world as made up
of Puritans who are pure of heart and deed, and others, who are sinners.
Brown's world is shattered when he learns that Puritans themselves,
including his loved ones, are often guilty of sin and evil. Here we see the
clear ranking of individuals and groups based on their supposed religious
piety in the story. The Puritan ideals of piety and lack of sin are the
backbones of hierarchy within this religious community. Those who adhere
to the Puritan ideals are seen as "good" Christians and Puritans, while
those who do not adhere to these principles are fallen and shameful
The great irony of this story is that the Puritan ideals that form
the basis of social stratification ...