Social Stratification

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 ...

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Social Stratification. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 19:34, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/201094.html