An Analysis of Young Mr. Goodman Brown
He uses symbolism, diction, and tone to enhance the readers experience and to more effectively write the story. This piece also references several real life historical events to make his story more powerful and believable. Many traits of the Romantic period are reflected in this piece, such as the focus on personal emotion and the power of the natural world. Hawthorne was also influenced by writers from the Transcendental movement and that can be seen in his work. The Speaker in Mr.. Goodman Brown” is an unidentified narrator. Even though the story is not being told from Mr..
Goodman perspective it is written in a way that reveals his emotions to the reader. Hawthorne used diction to allude to Mr.. Goodman emotions and feelings. We know that he Is feeling scared when he Is walking through the forest because words Like dreary, darkened, evil. Gloomiest, creep, and lonely are used to describe his setting. We also know Mr.. Goodman Brown is fearful of the man because when we talks to him he has a tremor in his voice. The man Is also described as “having an indescribable air, of one who knew the world. ” The tremor In Mr.. Goodman voice shows that he Is Intimidated by the figure.
It seems Ironic that he calls the man “his companion”. I believe he does this out of fear and in hopes of gaining his respect so that he will not hurt him. Hawthorne holds off on revealing the occasion of their meeting until nearly halfway through the story. The suspense makes the reader anxious and everything about the Journey becomes that much more mysterious. He keeps referring to “the journey” which is unknown, and all the reader knows is that Mr.. Goodman is uncertain of it and It Is something that he eels he needs to hide from his wife, Faith.
The reader Is given hints as to what the meeting could be about because of the evil man. He is referred to as the devil and even people who pass by recognize this. This helps to foreshadow the witchcraft ceremony that Mr.. Goodman finds himself at. ! Hawthorne uses a lot of symbolism in Muffing Mr.. Goodman Brown” to add more youth. She is describes as “thrusting her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap. ” This image is very carefree and paints the picture of someone very small, like a young girl. Faith’s youngness serves as a double symbolism that reflects purity.
Faith is young, naive, and innocent. This innocence and purity does not come from her youth alone, but also from her faith in God. Faith’s faith is strong and it is something that Mr.. Goodman respects. Also, Mr.. Goodman own faith is tested in this story to determine whether he is good or evil. Another item in this story that has great symbolism is the evil man’s staff. His staff represents evil, and it is almost like a spirit that overcomes who even takes hold of it. The staff seems to hold all of he devil’s power within it because as soon as he touches Goody Close she proclaims, “the devil! The staff is an item of anachronism in this story. The alive and serpent like features of the staff, specifically how it turns into a snake when it is thrown on the ground refer to Moses in the Bible. God commands Moses to throw his staff on the floor before the King of the Egyptians so it will become a snake. God commands this in hopes of proving to them that He is God and he is all powerful. The staff has the same kind of power over everyone it comes in contact with, and impolitely alters who they are. The diction in Muffing Mr.. Goodman Brown” is a huge part of the reader’s experience.
The diction in this story helps to build the tone and makes the reader feel a certain way whether it be scared, mystified, or bewildered. At the beginning of the story Mr.. Goodman Brown is very sincere. He wants Faith to know that he truly loves her by calling her “My love, my sweet, pretty wife. ” He wants her to feel comfortable and this is reflected in the diction of this passage. Words like sleep, dreams, pray, pretty, dearest, and heart are used to show his compassion. As soon as he parts with Faith there is a major tone shift.
He begins feeling scared and doubts his decision. As he enters the woods the diction reflects his fear with words like smote, narrow, peculiarity, thick, unseen, and solitude describing his surroundings. In this passage the syntax is also very intense and is used to enhance the readers emotions as well. The sentences are sharp and Jagged like the night in the woods. Many literary devices such as, diction, syntax, and tone were used by Hawthorne in Muffing Mr.. Goodman Brown” to create a more powerful story and accurately project ear and bewilderment into the minds of his readers.
Hawthorne also used symbolism to tie his story together and penetrate it with the theme. Hawthorne was a master of emotions and creating them. Not only did the reader feel emotions while helps the reader connect with the characters and makes a very unbelievable story seem more like reality. This text is important because it opens its readers up to rich examples of how diction and syntax can be used to create extreme tones that effect its readers. It also gives some insight into the Romantic period my emphasizing the power of human emotion in nature. Total words: 1 ,093
