King Lear-Theme of Blindness
In Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the tale of a man and his discovery of evil. Hawthorne's primary concern is with evil and how it affects young Goodman Brown. Through the use of tone and setting, Hawthorne portrays the nature of evil and the psychological effects it can have on man. He shows how discovering the existence of evil brings Brown to view the world in a cynical way. Brown learns the nature of evil and, therefore, feels surrounded by its presence constantly. Hawthorne creates a serious and somber tone throughout much of the story. From the start, the audience gets a sense that Brown will go through relentless agony from the devilish stranger. His diction in the opening paragraphs is a good indicator of this. He uses words such as "melancholy", "evil", "dreary", and "grave" to evoke a certain mood in the reader. There is little relief from this seriousness that would suggest that Hawthorne's attitude about the story be hopeful. Brown's attitude and actions portray a negative view of Salem and its people. He ponders the hypocrisy of the town as well as that of the Puritans. He examines the possibility that evil and corruption exist in a town that is supposedly charac
Upon entering the forest, it does not take long for the stranger to lure Brown in deeper causing him to abandon his former convictions. The description of the staff is much like that which we associate with the devil. This faith is not only in God but also in his wife, the town, and his entire lifestyle. As members of today's society, we are immersed in the evil ways of man at an early age. Taken at a literal level, the story is about a man who goes on a journey to the forest and encounters various strange situations. However, after hearing Faith's voice amidst the other sinners, he ultimately deserts his belief in the existence of good altogether. He is correct in his assumption that the town and the people in it do not change; however, he fails to consider the idea that his perception of them may change, which it certainly does. For instance, Brown's wife, Faith, represents religious faith. Hawthorne says of Brown, "He had taken a dreary road, darkened by the gloomiest trees of the forest. He can no longer look upon his community with the same hopefulness he once had. However, a more powerful force than his own willpower compels him to move onward. He becomes cynical of his surroundings and lives his life accordingly.
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