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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
challenging
slow-paced
i only thing i like about this story is the fact i got an A+ on my assignment
This was a re-read for me, to fulfill my "17th Century" category for my 2015 Reading Challenge. But since I wrote about it much more in-depth back in college, I thought I'd share some of that instead of reinventing the wheel.
Setting: Salem, Massachusetts, and surrounding wilderness in the 17th Century around the time of the Salem witch trials.
Tone: The tone of the story is dark with a growing sense of fear set with words and phrases such as “melancholy air,” present evil purpose,” “devilish Indian,” “deep dusk,” “deepening gloom,” “terror was yet piercing the night,” “maddened with despair,” “loathful brotherhood,” and “hell-kindled torches.”
Style: YGB is written in such a way that the reader knows less about what is happening than either the narrator or the main character. It starts in the middle of the action – with Goodman Brown starting out on his journey – the reader assumes he knows the destination and purpose of his trip even though the reader is never told. By revealing to the reader only what Brown sees and hears as he experiences it, the reader is forced to relate to the confusion and incomprehension of Brown. When Hawthorne as the narrator poses the question, “Had Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting?”, the reader is left to wonder along with Goodman Brown as to whether his experience was real or not. By not giving any concrete conclusions in the story as to whether the events “really” happened or were all a figment of Brown’s imagination, the style maintains and perpetuates the uncertainty and suspense of the action of the story.
Irony: The story is rich with irony: the use of the titles “Goodman” and “Goody” when referring to people consorting with the devil and participating in witchcraft rituals, Brown’s seeming innocence yet his willingness to take this journey, the allegorical symbol of Brown’s wife Faith and her presence in the forest. The overwhelming irony in the story, however, is the effect seeing – or thinking he saw – the members of his community participating in a satanic ritual had on Brown: by refusing to give in to the evil in the forest, Brown can no longer see good in anyone.
Theme: YGB is an open-ended question: is evil a perception or a reality? Because Brown thought he saw the members of his community participating in an evil ceremony, he perceived them as evil for the rest of his life, whether in reality they were or not.
Key Symbols: The Pink Ribbon – not white (representing purity) and not red (representing sin) but a blend. The name “Faith” immediately sets up the religious symbolism for the story – in the beginning Goodman Brown willingly walks away from “Faith,” in the middle he complains of losing his “Faith,” and in the end, when he returns, he never sees his “Faith” in the same way again. He uses symbols such as the twisted, snake-like staff to lead the reader to the conclusion that the traveling companion of Brown is the devil, even though the story never concretely identifies him as such. The time of day at the beginning of the story (“sunset”) can be a symbol for there still being some “light” in Goodman Brown, however, he states that his journey must take place between “now and sunrise” – in other words, in the dark of night – darkness being the universal symbol for sin and depredation.
Evaluation: Young Goodman Brown is by far my favorite Hawthorne story. It is filled with rich symbolism and allegory and is not wrapped up in a nice little package tied up with a moral lesson. Hawthorne leaves the reader to draw his or her own conclusion about the nature of evil, what Goodman Brown really experienced, and what the meaning of the entire story is. My favorite passage in the story is: “’With heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!’ cried Goodman Brown.” This is an easy to read story and the action at the outset of the story draws questions in the reader’s mind that makes him or her want to read further to see what’s going to happen. I view this story as almost a satirical take on the Puritans at the time of the witch trials. Because Goodman Brown thought he saw his neighbors participating in evil doings, he willingly saw them as evil for the rest of his life. I think that was Hawthorne’s take on the Puritans: they lived by what they perceived to be good and evil (what they saw on the surface) instead of delving deeper into the emotional and spiritual motivations behind people’s actions. Goodman Brown condemned everyone in Salem for the rest of his life… but he was out in the forest that night, too.
Setting: Salem, Massachusetts, and surrounding wilderness in the 17th Century around the time of the Salem witch trials.
Tone: The tone of the story is dark with a growing sense of fear set with words and phrases such as “melancholy air,” present evil purpose,” “devilish Indian,” “deep dusk,” “deepening gloom,” “terror was yet piercing the night,” “maddened with despair,” “loathful brotherhood,” and “hell-kindled torches.”
Style: YGB is written in such a way that the reader knows less about what is happening than either the narrator or the main character. It starts in the middle of the action – with Goodman Brown starting out on his journey – the reader assumes he knows the destination and purpose of his trip even though the reader is never told. By revealing to the reader only what Brown sees and hears as he experiences it, the reader is forced to relate to the confusion and incomprehension of Brown. When Hawthorne as the narrator poses the question, “Had Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting?”, the reader is left to wonder along with Goodman Brown as to whether his experience was real or not. By not giving any concrete conclusions in the story as to whether the events “really” happened or were all a figment of Brown’s imagination, the style maintains and perpetuates the uncertainty and suspense of the action of the story.
Irony: The story is rich with irony: the use of the titles “Goodman” and “Goody” when referring to people consorting with the devil and participating in witchcraft rituals, Brown’s seeming innocence yet his willingness to take this journey, the allegorical symbol of Brown’s wife Faith and her presence in the forest. The overwhelming irony in the story, however, is the effect seeing – or thinking he saw – the members of his community participating in a satanic ritual had on Brown: by refusing to give in to the evil in the forest, Brown can no longer see good in anyone.
Theme: YGB is an open-ended question: is evil a perception or a reality? Because Brown thought he saw the members of his community participating in an evil ceremony, he perceived them as evil for the rest of his life, whether in reality they were or not.
Key Symbols: The Pink Ribbon – not white (representing purity) and not red (representing sin) but a blend. The name “Faith” immediately sets up the religious symbolism for the story – in the beginning Goodman Brown willingly walks away from “Faith,” in the middle he complains of losing his “Faith,” and in the end, when he returns, he never sees his “Faith” in the same way again. He uses symbols such as the twisted, snake-like staff to lead the reader to the conclusion that the traveling companion of Brown is the devil, even though the story never concretely identifies him as such. The time of day at the beginning of the story (“sunset”) can be a symbol for there still being some “light” in Goodman Brown, however, he states that his journey must take place between “now and sunrise” – in other words, in the dark of night – darkness being the universal symbol for sin and depredation.
Evaluation: Young Goodman Brown is by far my favorite Hawthorne story. It is filled with rich symbolism and allegory and is not wrapped up in a nice little package tied up with a moral lesson. Hawthorne leaves the reader to draw his or her own conclusion about the nature of evil, what Goodman Brown really experienced, and what the meaning of the entire story is. My favorite passage in the story is: “’With heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!’ cried Goodman Brown.” This is an easy to read story and the action at the outset of the story draws questions in the reader’s mind that makes him or her want to read further to see what’s going to happen. I view this story as almost a satirical take on the Puritans at the time of the witch trials. Because Goodman Brown thought he saw his neighbors participating in evil doings, he willingly saw them as evil for the rest of his life. I think that was Hawthorne’s take on the Puritans: they lived by what they perceived to be good and evil (what they saw on the surface) instead of delving deeper into the emotional and spiritual motivations behind people’s actions. Goodman Brown condemned everyone in Salem for the rest of his life… but he was out in the forest that night, too.
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
<b>Disclaimer:</b> This review is, properly speaking, not a review, but rather an 'excuse' for me to keep rambling a little. Sorry if it was too much.
Perhaps I've never mentioned this before, but back in 2020 I didn't speak English at all. I studied the language as another subject when I was in high school, and in college I had to take some English classes in order to fulfill some requirements and be able to get my final diploma afterwards. In short, I wasn't good at it – I still remember a final exam where I had to talk about politics, Mexico-United States relations or something like that, and how I ended up getting rather nervous, and couldn't even pronounce correctly the last name of the American president at that time; I got a 6—the minimum passing grade in Mexico—and I still think it was because my professor felt sorry for me.
When I became a member of the Goodreads community, I never imagined that, after two years, I will be here, typing a review in English, speaking and talking to some people who I met here on Goodreads, also in English, and even keeping a real conversation for two, three hours with people who have become good friends of mine. From using Google translate many times when talking to the first friend I made here—needless to say that this Google thing was more trouble than it was worth—to sharing my thoughts and feelings about a reading in front of a group of people (a book club) from all over the world on Zoom; a whole, different world was actually just in front of me—it was actually a daunting, yet beautiful experience. Ultimately, what I have achieved so far is something that kind of makes me feel proud of myself.
At the end of the day, I think it is great how your life may change because of one App—an App that is, by the way, far from being the best platform in terms of its design and functionality—and mainly because of the people you meet there.
I know, I'm rambling on my stuff again. Sorry, but sometimes I can't help it, especially now with this review slump that doesn't let me go straight to the point (I started typing this review two weeks ago, so you probably get my point). The thing is that a few weeks ago my friend J. called me, a friend I usually call every Saturday to talk about everything and nothing, from the first snowfall of the season in his city—it hasn't even rained for months in mine—to what faith means to both of us. In the middle of our conversation, he mentioned he used to be a huge fan of Stephen King—he has read about 60 books by King, being <b>The Dark Tower, volume 1</b> his favorite one so far—and that he also read a short story, <b>The Man in the Black Suit</b>, that is hugely inspired by another short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne that is called—wait for it—<b>Young Goodman Brown</b>. No sooner had he mentioned this Hawthorne's story than a brilliant idea came to my mind, and immediately after I said 'let's buddy-read it, it seems to be a very short story, right?,' he said 'yes,' and here I am, trying to review this quite short, yet meaningful tale, and I haven't even started to do so. Yet.
Perhaps <b>Young Goodman Brown</b> wasn't that meaningful after all if I'm giving it only 3 stars, but here is the thing: the tale itself is very well written—it was my first time reading a Hawthorne story in its original English, and so the quality of the prose was beyond my expectations—very symbolic, and really compelling (I couldn't put it down from beginning to end). That being said, the plot itself didn't say almost anything to me; it was as if I had never read the story, or as though the story was just incredible while reading it, but after 'living the experience' it was almost meaningless to me. I know, I said before it was meaningful and now I'm saying the opposite, however, and I said this to my friend too, when I was reading the tale, the storyline, the main character, and even the way the characters speak—the tale is set in the 1700s, so the old English makes complete sense—was great, I liked all of these elements together; but when I finished it, and especially after more than one week, the tale has 'gone,' so to speak. Even the climax of the story—I'm not going to say anything about it in order to avoid spoilers, but for those who have read this author before, it has something to do with a very typical topic in many Hawthorne's works—which was the best part of the entire tale, is almost not with me anymore.
What I truly loved, and the reason why this is a 3-star story for me, is the character development of the protagonist, especially what he becomes at the end of the story—it is totally priceless. Only for this reason, I would recommend giving it a try, and if you are a Hawthorne lover, I would recommend you go ahead and pick it up right away.
Finally, I'd like to share with you one of my favorite lines, though there are other ones that are also worth reading:
<i><b>Let us hear which will laugh loudest. Think not to frighten me with your deviltry. Come witch, come wizard, come Indian powwow, come devil himself, and here comes Goodman Brown. You may as well fear him as he fear you.</b></i>
<b>P.S.</b> I almost forgot to tell you that this tale is by no means a horror story, perhaps a story with some gothic elements, but nothing to be scared of.
Perhaps I've never mentioned this before, but back in 2020 I didn't speak English at all. I studied the language as another subject when I was in high school, and in college I had to take some English classes in order to fulfill some requirements and be able to get my final diploma afterwards. In short, I wasn't good at it – I still remember a final exam where I had to talk about politics, Mexico-United States relations or something like that, and how I ended up getting rather nervous, and couldn't even pronounce correctly the last name of the American president at that time; I got a 6—the minimum passing grade in Mexico—and I still think it was because my professor felt sorry for me.
When I became a member of the Goodreads community, I never imagined that, after two years, I will be here, typing a review in English, speaking and talking to some people who I met here on Goodreads, also in English, and even keeping a real conversation for two, three hours with people who have become good friends of mine. From using Google translate many times when talking to the first friend I made here—needless to say that this Google thing was more trouble than it was worth—to sharing my thoughts and feelings about a reading in front of a group of people (a book club) from all over the world on Zoom; a whole, different world was actually just in front of me—it was actually a daunting, yet beautiful experience. Ultimately, what I have achieved so far is something that kind of makes me feel proud of myself.
At the end of the day, I think it is great how your life may change because of one App—an App that is, by the way, far from being the best platform in terms of its design and functionality—and mainly because of the people you meet there.
I know, I'm rambling on my stuff again. Sorry, but sometimes I can't help it, especially now with this review slump that doesn't let me go straight to the point (I started typing this review two weeks ago, so you probably get my point). The thing is that a few weeks ago my friend J. called me, a friend I usually call every Saturday to talk about everything and nothing, from the first snowfall of the season in his city—it hasn't even rained for months in mine—to what faith means to both of us. In the middle of our conversation, he mentioned he used to be a huge fan of Stephen King—he has read about 60 books by King, being <b>The Dark Tower, volume 1</b> his favorite one so far—and that he also read a short story, <b>The Man in the Black Suit</b>, that is hugely inspired by another short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne that is called—wait for it—<b>Young Goodman Brown</b>. No sooner had he mentioned this Hawthorne's story than a brilliant idea came to my mind, and immediately after I said 'let's buddy-read it, it seems to be a very short story, right?,' he said 'yes,' and here I am, trying to review this quite short, yet meaningful tale, and I haven't even started to do so. Yet.
Perhaps <b>Young Goodman Brown</b> wasn't that meaningful after all if I'm giving it only 3 stars, but here is the thing: the tale itself is very well written—it was my first time reading a Hawthorne story in its original English, and so the quality of the prose was beyond my expectations—very symbolic, and really compelling (I couldn't put it down from beginning to end). That being said, the plot itself didn't say almost anything to me; it was as if I had never read the story, or as though the story was just incredible while reading it, but after 'living the experience' it was almost meaningless to me. I know, I said before it was meaningful and now I'm saying the opposite, however, and I said this to my friend too, when I was reading the tale, the storyline, the main character, and even the way the characters speak—the tale is set in the 1700s, so the old English makes complete sense—was great, I liked all of these elements together; but when I finished it, and especially after more than one week, the tale has 'gone,' so to speak. Even the climax of the story—I'm not going to say anything about it in order to avoid spoilers, but for those who have read this author before, it has something to do with a very typical topic in many Hawthorne's works—which was the best part of the entire tale, is almost not with me anymore.
What I truly loved, and the reason why this is a 3-star story for me, is the character development of the protagonist, especially what he becomes at the end of the story—it is totally priceless. Only for this reason, I would recommend giving it a try, and if you are a Hawthorne lover, I would recommend you go ahead and pick it up right away.
Finally, I'd like to share with you one of my favorite lines, though there are other ones that are also worth reading:
<i><b>Let us hear which will laugh loudest. Think not to frighten me with your deviltry. Come witch, come wizard, come Indian powwow, come devil himself, and here comes Goodman Brown. You may as well fear him as he fear you.</b></i>
<b>P.S.</b> I almost forgot to tell you that this tale is by no means a horror story, perhaps a story with some gothic elements, but nothing to be scared of.
You know that old saying, "when you dance with the devil in the pale moonlight, the devil always tops"? Something like that.
A young man becomes thoroughly disenchanted after he discovers that beneath the goodness of all the upright people he knew was a lurking evil, hypocrisy and sin.
The story begins sweetly, with its protagonist Goodman, and his wife Faith exchange kisses as Goodman starts on a journey. Then he meets his travelling companion, the devil, and the story gets stranger and stranger. Allegorical to the extent of winking at its own allegory, this was a nice introduction to Hawthorne
The story begins sweetly, with its protagonist Goodman, and his wife Faith exchange kisses as Goodman starts on a journey. Then he meets his travelling companion, the devil, and the story gets stranger and stranger. Allegorical to the extent of winking at its own allegory, this was a nice introduction to Hawthorne
This is, in my opinion, one of the single greatest short stories ever written. The narrative is so tightly woven, the dialogue genius and subtle, and the prose are extremely sharp. While much criticism tries to explain the allegory as a man's venture into the realm of the sexual, I think that the story is much more universal. For one thing, there's very little to indicate that Goodman Brown's journey is specifically sexual (Freudians will disagree, but I remain unconvinced), and I feel that Hawthorn's concerns were much more akin to hypocrisy and false expectations we have, and how we thus betray ourselves.
The most fascinating character is, of course, the Devil, and this is one of the best I've read. He's not opening malicious, and his subtlety is what makes him so frightening. His ability to ensnare Brown tighter and tighter intrigues me. The way Goodman Brown falls from grace is so cleverly planned, and yet it's so obvious to us as readers, and to the victim himself, though he doesn't realize it. How often do we find ourselves digging our own graves, doing things that we know are foolish, yet pushing farther against our greater knowledge. Of course, we can never anticipate the actual consequences, and that's why we are so easily tempted, and that is one of the things Hawthorne does such an amazing job of exploring here.
It's unfortunate that such an awesome story cost the protagonist his Faith and happiness, but it probably wouldn't be nearly as amazing if that weren't the case.
The most fascinating character is, of course, the Devil, and this is one of the best I've read. He's not opening malicious, and his subtlety is what makes him so frightening. His ability to ensnare Brown tighter and tighter intrigues me. The way Goodman Brown falls from grace is so cleverly planned, and yet it's so obvious to us as readers, and to the victim himself, though he doesn't realize it. How often do we find ourselves digging our own graves, doing things that we know are foolish, yet pushing farther against our greater knowledge. Of course, we can never anticipate the actual consequences, and that's why we are so easily tempted, and that is one of the things Hawthorne does such an amazing job of exploring here.
It's unfortunate that such an awesome story cost the protagonist his Faith and happiness, but it probably wouldn't be nearly as amazing if that weren't the case.
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read this for one of my classes. I need to reach that reading goal without subtly lowering it throughout the year lol. Is this cheating? Perhaps.
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nathaniel Hawthorne just isn't my style. There is nothing necessarily wrong with his stuff. It is actually written quite well and the stories themselves are interesting enough and bring up good topics. But honestly, Hawthorne just bores me. I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, he is not someone I gravitate towards reading. This one in particular was REALLY boring. The Goodman Brown character also annoyed me. So again, whatever it is, Hawthorne is just not my bread and butter, and this one in particular is my least favorite from him.
I guess I have my college American Literature classes to thank for showing me and then forcing me to read Hawthorne. At least I know he isn't my vibe.
I guess I have my college American Literature classes to thank for showing me and then forcing me to read Hawthorne. At least I know he isn't my vibe.