Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne | In-Depth Summary & Analysis

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Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown explained in just a few minutes!
 
Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth analysis of the plot, characters, symbols, and themes of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story Young Goodman Brown.
 
Download the free study guide and infographic for Young Goodman Brown here: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Young-Goodman-Brown/infographic/
 
Set in 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts, when Puritans dictated behavioral and religious standards, Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story Young Goodman Brown concerns the journey of an outwardly pious young Puritan man to a witch's Sabbath.
 
Guided by a Dark Figure, likely the Devil, Brown traverses the woods near Salem, Massachusetts, seemingly unaware of what actually draws him to the meeting.
 
When he arrives, many members of his community, both sinful and virtuous, are engaged in dark rituals. He and his new wife are inducted into the ways of evil.
 
The night haunts him for the rest of his life, though he displays all of the outward signs of goodness.
 
As an allegory, the story shows how the devil leads all people—the godly and the corrupt—into sin and demonstrates that the temptation of evil is a risk to even the most righteous among us.
 
American author Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown was first published in 1835. A native of Salem, Massachusetts—home of the famous 17th-century witch trials—Hawthorne was well acquainted with church leaders, their Puritanical religious standards, their ambiguities, and their sins.
 
The short story Young Goodman Brown contains many enduring themes, including disillusionment, as Goodman loses faith in goodness and piety when he sees church leaders taking part in a satanic ritual; sin, as the dark figure says virtue is a dream and sin is the nature of humans; and hypocrisy, as Salem’s church leaders profess commitment to morality but secretly act immorally. Important symbols include the forest, the serpent-shaped staff, and pink ribbons.
 
Explore Course Hero’s collection of free literature study guides, Q&A pairs, and infographics here: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/
 
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YouTube url:	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjgBI40Zr4o
Created:	13. 4. 2021 15:32:38

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Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne | In-Depth Summary & Analysis