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Archetypes In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

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“Young Goodman Brown” is a fictional story that carries a great deal of realistic and spiritual meaning. The story was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1835 and it has since been read, as well as studied, by a multitude of scholars. In the process of evaluating a text, most critics take time to study individual characters. Carl Jung completely transformed how characters are viewed; Jung claimed that all writers form stories with characters that fall into universal archetypes. The archetype that receives the most attention is the hero, which is the main character of the story. If the claim holds true that every story has a hero, is the main character in “Young Goodman Brown” a true hero? With an understanding of what heroes do and how they are defined, it can be confidently stated that Goodman Brown meets the qualifications. …show more content…

Joseph Campbell did a great deal of research regarding Jung’s archetypes, and the characteristics that define a traditional hero. Campbell claims that a traditional hero is often orphaned, or in other ways separated from their family. In most stories, there is an inciting incident which propels the hero on a quest; Campbell adds that this quest is typically dangerous. There is a maiden present in the hero’s life who inspires him along the way. The hero will go through a threshold in their quest; the hero may not go back once they pass the threshold. A hero usually consults a wise old man or a great mother to provide knowledge to them. Lastly, Joseph Campbell made it clear that a traditional hero is changed after the completion of the

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The reader doesn’t know that the hero has any impact on the story at all because the hero is typically an ordinary person: “In most hero stories, the hero is introduced in ordinary surroundings, in a mundane world, doing mundane things. Generally, the hero begins as a nonhero; innocent, young, simple, or humble” (Seger 336). According to Seger, the traditional hero is typically portrayed as a normal person in an attempt to relate to the reader’s perception of a hero. Seger’s attempt to interpret what a hero is shatters the boundaries between a normal person, like the reader, and the hero. Seger implies that the reader is very much connected to a hero and because the reader is so connected to the hero, it influences the reader to keep reading or watching what the hero has to

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When you hear the word “hero”, you probably picture an image of what most people think that resembles a hero, a legendary figure endowed with great strength or ability. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon shares the tale of a 15 year-old autistic boy who displays symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome (a variation of Autism). Christopher Boone, the main character, recognizes many changes in his life, which forces him to conquer his fears of strangers, crowded places, and public bathrooms in order to run away to London and live with his mother. Due to Asperger’s Syndrome, he hates crowded places, physical contact, certain colours, and is very mathematically and scientifically oriented. According to Joseph Campbell, a hero

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As one reads fiction novels, old and new, it is likely that one will encounter a certain type of person : a hero. It is easy, when the word “hero” comes to mind, to immediately think of dragon slayers, giant killers, and damsel savers. Although this is true in some circumstances, like Odysseus in The Odyssey, heroistic qualities consist of more than just strength and military expertise. Heroes can be quiet people who stand up for those who need it, like Juror number 8 in 12 Angry Men. Heroes can also be given this title for the people they impact, like Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird.

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In his short story “Young Goodman Brown” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism and imagery to show the concept of good versus evil. Symbolism is essential to literature because it helps create meaning and emotion in a story. Imagery is crucial to literature because it helps create a vivid experience for the reader. Hawthorne uses both to draw the reader in.

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Question 2: In Hawthorne’s story “Young Goodman Brown”, does it matter whether or not the protagonist, Goodman Brown, Dreamt the events in the story? Introduction Hawthorne‘s “Young Goodman Brown” (YGB) is such a richly layered, compelling and compact masterpiece that lends itself to multiple interpretations and dimensions of meaning when read with different approaches. It is all at once: a satirical allegory, a gothic story, a psychological investigation of Hawthorne’s own mind, a historical treatise of American Puritanism, a feminist record of woman’s plight in Puritan Times, a condensed dispensation of Hawthorne’s philosophical and religious beliefs and also a vent for his own personal catharsis.

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Don’t Believe All That You See Young Goodman Brown unveils the hidden secrets of his fellow citizens during his journey through darkness. As the protagonist reaches his breaking point, he starts to wonder if his townspeople are whom they say they are. In the short story “Young Goodman Brown”, Nathaniel Hawthorne proves that appearances are deceiving by his use of symbolism, allegory, and personification. Hawthorne’s use of color symbolism helps the reader truly understand that not everything one sees is actually true.

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Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the story to explore moral and spiritual issues taking the character young Goodman Brown on a journey from innocence and faith to the dark side of distrust and evil. The elder (the devil) who carries the staff could be considered the leader in the story as he takes Brown into the woods in an attempt to lead him astray or away from faith and innocence. Young Goodman Brown makes the personal choice to go into the woods, which is an individual decision with consequences. This action led to his fall even if it was helped by the devil. In the beginning of the story, Young Goodman Brown describes his father and grandfather as being religious and having high moral character which indicates how his society values the traits.

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Many men express innocence to others who are in their surroundings, but are easily fooled by natural instincts and are curious about the existence of evilness and how it is presented. Throughout life, one may find that journeys are full of good and evil. Goodman Brown continues his journey, even after protests from his wife, and even after his own doubts along the way. In Nathaniel Hawthorne 's "Young Goodman Brown," Goodman Brown 's journey on a path of self-discovery takes him through innocence and sin, displaying the inevitable descent from good to evil and Brown’s loss of religious faith and innocence. Making choices is a common factor when a person determines which path to take, as it is from the beginning of the story and throughout Goodman Brown’s journey, in which it is clear that he must make choices between good and evil.

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After waking in the forest, Goodman Brown finds himself doubting the events that happened as well as his previous Christian beliefs. Hawthorne presents Goodman Brown’s thoughts and actions in a melancholic tone throughout the story to serve as an example of what it

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