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Allegory And Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

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Hashmat Shah

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE AS “YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN”
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804. He was born in the dark times of the Salem witch trials, in which his ancestors were involved in and were one of the first colonists. “Nathaniel Hawthorne 's short stories include "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" (1832), "Roger Malvin 's Burial" (1832), "Young Goodman Brown" (1835), and the collection Twice-Told Tales. He is best known for his novels The Scarlet Letter (1850) and The House of the Seven Gables (1851). His use of allegory and symbolism make Hawthorne one of the most studied writers. (https://www.biography.com/people/nathaniel-hawthorne-9331923)”. From Nathaniel Hawthorne’s stories such as “young Goodman brown” it helps us relate to his up bring and his life living in Salem during the witch trials he expresses his feelings on them.
In the short story of Nathaniel Hawthorne, he refers to himself as “Young Goodman Brown” who was once a great man who with time living in Salem now sees everyone as a sinful and bitter person because of the actions of them in the story. There are many assumptions to the story of Young Goodman Brown; some say he had a dream of walking into the dark forest and seeing everyone from his village/town at the witches sabbath and some say it happened and was not a dream. The actions of Young Goodman Brown story can help us relate to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s life to show us how he neglected growing up in Salem at the time of the
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Born on July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts, Nathaniel Hawthorne was an only child. His father died when he was very young. When he was still a child, an injury to his leg left him unable to move for a very long time. He spent much of his time reading and soon focused on becoming a writer. He most likely added a “w” to his real last name “Hathorne” because of his ancestor’s involvement in the infamous Salem witch trials.

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Hawthorne was known to have double meanings in his stories, the physical objects in his stories, “The Scarlet Letter.” , “Young Goodman Brown.” And “The Minster’s Black Veil.” All have some specific type of symbolic reasoning.

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This talk of devilish acts from people known to Goodman Brown as holier than all causes Goodman Brown great pain and confusion even to the point where he was “ready to sink down on the ground, faint and overburdened” from what he had just witnessed (5). In the short time from when Goodman Brown enters the forest, sees Goody Cloyse, and sees the minister and the deacon, his entire life and upbringing is

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