Public Morality In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

The Weakness of Public Morality in Young Goodman Brown

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, "Young Goodman Brown," public morality is shown to be weakened in a variety of ways. This essay will explore three key factors that contribute to this weakening: the role of hypocrisy, the impact of fear, and the effect of faithlessness. Through an examination of each of these elements, this essay will reveal the detrimental impact of these forces on public morality in Hawthorne's work.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown,” public morality is shown to be weakened in a variety of ways. The story follows Goodman Brown, a young Puritan man, as he embarks on a journey into the forest. During his journey, he encounters a variety of

In this work of fiction, Hawthorne uses the character of Goodman Brown to demonstrate the consequences of hypocrisy. Through the character of Goodman Brown, Hawthorne shows the reader how hypocrisy can be damaging to public morality. By showing the effects of Brown’s actions, Hawthorne warns readers of the dangers of hypocrisy. Brown’s self-righteous attitude towards the people of Salem, his lack of understanding in regards to their circumstances, and his inability to judge them fairly, all lead to his eventual downfall. By showing how Brown’s hypocrisy caused his own undoing, Hawthorne illustrates how hypocritical behavior can lead to the weakening of public morality. Through this work, Hawthorne demonstrates how public morality is weakened when people are hypocritical and unable to judge others fairly. Hypocrisy plays a major role in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown”. The story follows Goodman Brown as he embarks on a journey into the forest, where he encounters a variety of characters who represent the hypocrisy of Puritan society. Goodman Brown is shocked to discover that many of the people he thought were pious and devout are actually participating in a Satanic ritual. This revelation leads him to question his own faith and the faith of those around him. As Miller’s work shows, this theme is explored in Young Goodman

Goodman Brown is filled with fear as he travels through the forest, and his fear is compounded when he discovers the truth about the people he thought he could trust. He is filled with terror as he watches the ritual and realizes that he is surrounded by evil. In his 2009 article in the Journal of the Short Story in English, S Olson explores the impact of fear on public morality in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, ‘Young Goodman Brown’. Olson’s analysis focuses on how Hawthorne’s story examines how fear can be used to manipulate public morality. The story follows Young Goodman Brown as he goes on a journey through the forest in an attempt to discover the truth about himself and his community. By the end of the story, it is clear that fear has had a profound impact on public morality in the community. Young Goodman Brown is left in a state of despair, as he realizes that his community is full of hypocrisy and corruption. He finds that fear of the unknown is used to control and manipulate the public's morality, and this fear creates a false sense of security for those who accept it. Olson argues that Hawthorne has used the story to critique the dangers of relying on fear as a means of controlling public morality. Olson’s analysis provides an insightful look into the ways fear can be used to manipulate public morality, and how this can have a profound impact on individuals and their