The Single Effect In Hawthorne's The Young Goodman Brown

318 Words2 Pages
The “single effect” is a term made by Edgar Allan Poe. It is the unique emotion that is felt in every element of a short story. “The Young Goodman Brown” by romanticism author Nathaniel Hawthorne is an example of this effect. This author uses descriptions, incidents, and images to contribute to the single effect. The single effect in this is the mysterious, distrustful and the two-sidedness of people.
The descriptions of the characters play a major role in the single effect. For example, a mysterious character is first described as looking similar to Goodman Brown himself. However, this character holds a staff in the shape of a black serpent. This hint is slowly revealed to the reader for a dramatic and shocking effect. In a shock, the reader