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Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Symbolism

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Recommended: Symbolism in sinners of an angry god

Ryan
Mr. Conant
English 11
2/8/23
Human Morality
Sin and the Devil are present all around the world, and the only way to be saved is by God's hand upon us. Many writers have tried to characterize and symbolize the presence of sin in the world but only a few have found success that reaches the masses. Authors including Nathaniel Hawthorne in “Young Goodman Brown,” Washington Irving who wrote “The Devil And Tom Walker,” and Jonathon Edwards in his sermon “Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God,” are effective at connecting the sin of the world to literature. These authors use writing techniques such as imagery, symbolism, and characterization to expose the influence that the devil and sin have on all people. Symbolism is necessary for authors …show more content…

This, of course, must have been an ocular deception, assisted by the uncertain light. Come, Goodman Brown! cried his fellow-traveler, this is a dull pace for the beginning of a journey. Take my staff, if you are so soon weary(2).” The biblical symbolism in the serpent is blatant. The main symbol for the Devil in the bible is a serpent who constantly tempts people away from God. Adam and Eve are the first to be tempted by the Devil. Hawthorne portrays visuals of symbolism to the audience by connecting Eve with Goodman Brown being tempted by the serpent and the devil. Irving uses symbolism to show the reader something about the story that applies to real aspects of life. In “The Devil And Tom Walker,” the dark forest where Deacon Peabody’s treasure is buried is used as an example of symbolism. The dark forest paints a picture of evil and fear in all of us as, “Tom looked in the direction that the stranger pointed, and beheld one of the great trees, fair and flourishing without, but rotten at the core, and saw that it had been nearly hewn …show more content…

In, “From Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God,” Edwards attempts to convey how close Hell is to normal people through imagery. Edwards classifies Hell as, “A dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell’s wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor anything to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but the air;it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up(87).”Edwards uses imagery in this notation to describe the state of Hell so his audience can generate and visualize ideas of the place. Edwards makes points about Hell and how close we are to it, but he also conveys that the close wrath of God is upon us. Edwards believes in a God of wrath and vengeance, that, “There are black clouds of God’s wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder(88).” The wrath of God is prevalent, and Edwards wants to make this known to his audience and show them that they are in trouble, that they are not safe, and that they have put themselves in this situation. Using imagery to describe aggressive and belligerent behavior from God, Edwards captivates the audience with something they haven’t heard before, that God is vengeful. Edwards uses imagery to illustrate his point, that it is God who we should fear, how, “The bow of God’s

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