The setting of a story is just as important as the characters that act within the story. No narration can stand without a setting; the setting is essential and influences every narration. Good settings can give a story its final touch and bad chosen settings can destroy a narration. In historical narrations, the setting is already given and an unchangeable part of the story line. In a fictional story, on the other hand, the setting is part of the fiction and was entirely chosen by the narrator himself. He tries to use the setting in favor of his purposes in order to make the story work. Very often, a setting is selected in order to make a story more authentic or to produce a certain feeling and mood within the reader. However, in my term paper, I will focus on the settings that appear in “Young Goodman Brown”. This is a subject that has not attracted as much attention as other parts of “Young Goodman Brown” but is without any doubt a very interesting field of study. In my study I will try to identify the different settings of the story in diverse ways. Thus, it is important not only to describe the settings but also to discuss their meaning; not only for the story itself but also for the people of the time when “Young Goodman Brown” was first published. It is especially interesting to see what kind of reactions Hawthorne tried to generate with “Young Goodman Brown” among the Puritan population in New England of which he himself was a part. The setting of the forest plays a special role in this case and shows us that people of Hawthorne’s time had a different connection to their environment and to nature than we do today. The early Puritans who came to New England had a very difficult relationship to their new, wild, and uncultivated environment. Further, it is important to talk about Salem Village, Massachusetts and the witch trials that occurred there. The village and its Puritan population, as well as the witch trials, for which Salem became famous, are important to “Young Goodman Brown.” Additionally, the relationship of the Hathorne family to the city of Salem and to the witch trials is an interesting one. This relationship explains a lot about Nathaniel Hawthorne’s motivation to write the short story “Young Goodman Brown.” The story of Goodman Brown primarily deals with the guilt and the evil that lies within every human being no matter how religious, honest, gentle or truthful he seems to be.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Salem Village and the Salem witch trials
- 3. The three borders
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to analyze the settings depicted in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," exploring their significance within the story and their reflection of the Puritan society of New England. The study will examine how Hawthorne uses setting to create atmosphere, advance the plot, and comment on the societal and historical context of the narrative.
- The role of setting in shaping the atmosphere and mood of "Young Goodman Brown."
- The symbolic significance of the different settings (e.g., Salem Village, the forest) and their relationship to the story's themes.
- The connection between the story's settings and the historical context of the Salem witch trials.
- Hawthorne's use of setting to critique Puritan society and its relationship to good and evil.
- The psychological journey of Goodman Brown as reflected in the changing settings.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter establishes the importance of setting in literature, citing definitions and examples from other works. It introduces Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" and its ambiguous nature, highlighting the story's complexities and the relative lack of scholarly focus on its settings. The chapter posits that the settings themselves, rather than solely symbolic interpretations, deserve in-depth examination. The author intends to analyze not just the description of settings but also their deeper meaning, relating them to the Puritan society in which Hawthorne lived and wrote. The focus will be on the reactions Hawthorne sought to evoke among his Puritan contemporaries and the implications of the story's setting.
2. Salem Village and the Salem witch trials: This chapter delves into the historical context of "Young Goodman Brown," emphasizing the significance of Salem Village and the Salem witch trials. It explores the Hathorne family's connection to these events, tracing Nathaniel Hawthorne's ancestry back to William Hathorne, an early Puritan magistrate and persecutor of Quakers, and John Hathorne, a judge involved in the witch trials. The chapter highlights Hawthorne's likely feelings of family guilt and responsibility for his ancestors' actions, arguing that this sense of guilt spurred his critical portrayal of Puritanism in his works. The inclusion of Goody Cloyse and Goody Cory in "Young Goodman Brown" is interpreted as a subtle yet significant critique of the Puritan fanaticism that led to the witch trials, demonstrating Hawthorne's attempt to confront his family's past and the societal injustices of the time.
3. The three borders: This chapter analyzes the different settings in "Young Goodman Brown" as borders or thresholds that Goodman Brown crosses on his spiritual journey. The first border is the threshold of his home, representing his departure from his familiar world and his wife, Faith. The chapter argues that the threshold is not merely a physical boundary but a symbolic representation of the separation between innocence and experience. The author will go on to examine further metaphorical and literal borders, analyzing how each crossing contributes to Goodman Brown's transformative experience and the overall thematic development of the narrative. The chapter uses specific quotes from the story to demonstrate the symbolic weight Hawthorne assigns to physical locations.
Keywords
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown, setting, Puritanism, Salem witch trials, allegory, symbolism, atmosphere, threshold, border, good vs. evil, guilt, family history, historical context, New England.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown": A Study of Setting
What is the purpose of this academic paper?
This paper analyzes the settings in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," exploring their significance within the story and how they reflect Puritan New England society. It examines how Hawthorne uses setting to create atmosphere, advance the plot, and comment on the societal and historical context.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
The paper explores the role of setting in shaping the atmosphere and mood; the symbolic significance of different settings (Salem Village, the forest, etc.) and their relationship to the story's themes; the connection between the story's settings and the Salem witch trials; Hawthorne's critique of Puritan society through setting; and Goodman Brown's psychological journey as reflected in the changing settings.
What is covered in the Introduction chapter?
The introduction establishes the importance of setting in literature, introduces "Young Goodman Brown" and its ambiguous nature, and highlights the relative lack of scholarly focus on its settings. It proposes an in-depth examination of the settings themselves and their deeper meaning in relation to Puritan society, focusing on Hawthorne's intended reactions among his contemporaries.
What is discussed in the chapter on Salem Village and the Salem witch trials?
This chapter delves into the historical context, emphasizing the significance of Salem Village and the Salem witch trials. It explores the Hathorne family's connection to these events and Hawthorne's likely feelings of guilt and responsibility for his ancestors' actions. It argues that this guilt influenced his critical portrayal of Puritanism, interpreting the inclusion of Goody Cloyse and Goody Cory as a critique of Puritan fanaticism.
What does the chapter on "The three borders" analyze?
This chapter analyzes the different settings as borders or thresholds that Goodman Brown crosses on his spiritual journey. It examines the symbolic significance of these crossings (e.g., leaving his home, representing the separation between innocence and experience), and how each contributes to Goodman Brown's transformation and the story's themes. Specific quotes are used to demonstrate the symbolic weight Hawthorne assigns to physical locations.
What are the keywords associated with this paper?
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown, setting, Puritanism, Salem witch trials, allegory, symbolism, atmosphere, threshold, border, good vs. evil, guilt, family history, historical context, New England.
What is the overall structure of the paper?
The paper includes an introduction, a chapter on Salem Village and the Salem witch trials, a chapter analyzing the symbolic borders in the story, and concludes with a summary of key themes and keywords. It provides a structured analysis of the settings within Hawthorne's narrative.
- Quote paper
- Daniel Obländer (Author), 2007, A Study of Settings Appearing in "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/154861
