The Puritan Journey
Puritans were looked upon as being fanatics. They were god's so-called chosen people. In their eyes, America was, in a sense, the second Garden of Eden. They wanted to come to America and live the perfect life in a utopian society. They emphasized "Original Sin" in their teaching, which taught that everyone was already born a sinner. Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven," and Jonathan Edward's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" all depict images of the Puritan journey which include evading sin, self-improvement, and going to heaven. Evading sin is an important image of the Puritan journey. Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," is a story which illustrates a mans inability to confess his sins. Goodman Brown tries everything to resist his temptations but soon comes to a disillusioned realization that everyone and everything that surrounds him-his church, wife and community, are all evildoers and corrupt beings: "On Sabbath day, when the congregation were singing a holy psalm, he could not listen because an anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear and drowned all the blessed strain (pg. 716)." He could not come to grips with his own desires and so projected his o
The raven itself symbolizes hopelessness and impending death. " The image of the journey can be based upon trying to evade sin, trying to perfect one's self, and the want and need of going to heaven. '/ Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore (lines 91-96, pg. He tried his best to convince himself that he had the ability to control his temptations. " Additionally, Edgar Allan Poe's, "The Raven," is able to depict the image of the evasion of sin as well. The !raven can also be looked upon not only as impending death and darkness but also as the grim reaper. " It doesn't matter what one does because "they are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell (pg. When Goodman Brown decided that he did not want to continue on with his errand, he rationalized his choice by believing that the old woman, was not going to heaven so why should he "quit [his] dear faith and go after her. " "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" believes that "the devil stands ready to fall upon them, and seize them as his own, at what moment !God shall permit him. Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" and Jonathan Edwards "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" are all images of the journey. Because this man is mourning the loss of his love Lenore, all his dreams have died with this woman and now realizes that he can never get back what he has lost because too much time has passed by. Everything is done in hopes of being one of God's people.
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Acceptance Essays
