Compare And Contrast Young Goodman Brown And The Prodigal Son

Compare and Contrast Essay: Rough Draft (needs editing) What draws people to goodness and what draws people to evilness? Is it the belief in a higher power, is it the journey we experience in life or is it the mistakes we make in life. In the stories “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “The Prodigal Son” from the bible Luke, qualities that make us good and evil are similar and different in both stories. In “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Prodigal Son”, the idea of a higher power that guides our life is similar. The higher power being God. In Young Goodman Brown we see this in the puritan religion they base their existence and life upon God. In The Prodigal Son, although it’s not stated religion and a higher power, God,

They share some very unique differences. In Young Goodman Brown and The Prodigal Son, the overall mood of the story is different. In the Prodigal Son, the story has a lighter mood, there are not many somber details that make the story seem darker like in Young Goodman Brown. The Prodigal Son story involved the son making a mistake, realizing it and being forgiven. That made the story simple and understandable for what was going on. It was not deep and compelling as Young Goodman Brown. In “Young Goodman Brown” the mood was darker, using characters like the devil or setting the story in the woods affected the whole story was portrayed and the way things played out for Goodman Brown. Another difference in the stories is the ending of the stories there were two complete different ending. In “Young Goodman Brown”, the story ending was sad while in “The Prodigal Son” it was a happy ending. Illuminating the themes of forgiveness which ends in happiness and Sin which ends in sadness. Another difference in the stories are in the way celebration is held and the reason behind it. In “Young Goodman Brown” there is a celebration; a gathering amongst the townspeople but the gathering is not for sharing happy moments rather they gather as sinners. Everyone in the gathering has sinned one way or another. While in “The Prodigal Son” the celebration involved the slicing of a calf to rejoice over the return of the prodigal son. This difference in celebration shows how difference the stories are and how celebration for goodness and celebration for evil reveal a person’s true