Irony in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay examples

Irony in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is replete, is saturated, with irony. This essay will amply illustrate the validity of this statement. At the outset of the story a young Puritan husband departs at sunset from his young Puritan wife, â€Å"And Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap, while she called to Goodman Brown.† The author says that Faith is â€Å"aptly named,† an ironic statement since she, later in the evening, is being received into the assembly of devil-worshippers as a new convert to the evil group. Not only is her name ironic, but also the description of her as â€Å"pretty,† and as†¦show more content†¦That he should criticize Faith in the very next sentence for doubting his intentions is, of course, ironic since his intentions are thoroughly reprehensible. Though she is a beginning devil-worshipper, Faith’s response to her husband uses the very language of a Puritan minister: Then God bless you! said Faith, with the pink ribbons, and may you find all well, when you come back. Quite ironic. Likewise Goodman’s response to Faith is that of a devout Puritan sitting in the front row at church on Sunday morning: Amen! cried Goodman Brown. Say thy prayers, dear Faith, and go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee. And his intentions are quite as evil as hers. As Goodman turns the corner at the meeting-house, his remorseful thoughts exalt the goodness of his wife: What a wretch am I, to leave her on such an errand! She talks of dreams, too. Methought, as she spoke, there was trouble in her face, as if a dream had warned her what work is to be done tonight. But, no, no! twould kill her to think it. Well; shes a blessed angel on earth; and after this one night, Ill cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven. Ironically, Goodman regards her goodness as unimpeachable and sublime. In the next sentence the author counterposes a good at the beginning of the sentence, and an evil at the end of the same sentence – for ironic effect: â€Å"With this excellent resolve for the future, Goodman Brown felt himselfShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Young Goodman Brown1179 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is an odd story with a deeper meaning than is apparent on the surface. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote his short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† in 1835 with what seems like the intentions of gothic and romance features. However, looking further into the story of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† it is clear to see that there is a possibility that the imagery displayed can lead to some interesting theories behind Hawthornes purpose, imagery, and symbolism in the text. Throughout the story, HawthorneRead MoreTheme Of Young Goodman Brown And The Cask Of Amontillado970 Words   |  4 Pagescounteract this goal in their works â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado†, respectively, is with irony. Their masterful use of irony engages the reader in the work and invites them to consider the story and the characters’ intentions. The irony presented in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne and â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† by Edgar Allan Poe allows us to understand the emotions of the characters and the mood of the work, however, Poe utilizes irony to convey humor, while HawthorneRead MoreThe Dichotomy of Self Reliance and Conformity1169 Words   |  5 Pagescontrived during this period of enlightenment, including Nathaniel Hawthorne’s dramatically thematic and ambiguous short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, as well as Ralph Waldo Emerson’s intriguingly influential and uplifting essay, â€Å"Self-Reliance†. Hawthorne’s writing aspires to implicate theories and themes about the reality of the world we live in and to illustrat e our individual limitations through the art of symbolism and irony. Emerson uses a unique approach in his writing, endeavoring to inspireRead MoreFiction Essay - Young Goodman Brown and the Lottery1051 Words   |  5 PagesLottery† and Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† reveals that different literary elements, such as tone and setting, are used to convey the characters’ arrival at dark, sinister places. II. INTRODUCTION III. SHIRLEY JACKSON’S â€Å"THE LOTTERY† A. Setting the tone: Peaceful and relaxing B. Irony: Even though the mood is relaxing, there is a premonition of something bad to come C. Ending: The ending is implied IV. NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S â€Å"YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN† D. SettingRead More Absence of Absolute Good or Absolute Evil in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown1468 Words   |  6 PagesAbsence of Absolute Good or Absolute Evil in Young Goodman Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚   Lo! There ye stand, my children, said the figure, in a deep and solemn tone, almost sad, with its despairing awfulness, as if his once angelis nature could yet mourn for our miserable race. Depending on one anothers hearts, ye had still hoped, that virtue were not all a dream. Now ye are undeceived! Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. Welcome, again, my children, to the communion of your raceRead MoreAmbiguity In Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown1485 Words   |  6 Pagesthemselves to multiple interpretations, either due to deliberate or unintentional ambiguity in the text. In the case of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown, the author crafted a complex story filled with ambiguity. What are, then, translators to do when faced with the momentous task of translating an important piece of American literature like Young Goodman Brown? They must undoubtedly turn to literary criticism, which seeks to produce in-depth interpretations of l iterary works; in particularRead More Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1278 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes symbolism throughout his short story Young Goodman Brown to impact and clarify the theme of good people sometimes doing bad things. Hawthorne uses a variety of light and dark imagery, names, and people to illustrate irony and different translations. Young Goodman Brown is a story about a man who comes to terms with the reality that people are imperfect and flawed and then dies a bitter death from the enlightenmentRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown And A Cask Of Amontillado Analysis1110 Words   |  5 PagesYoung Goodman Brown and A Cask of Amontillado both incorporate a gothic theme to the simple yet intricate plotline they hold. Within the two short stories, irony scatters, adding to the overall grim theme. Although they use the same 3 types of irony, the authors use them differently and similarly at the same time. In Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne and A Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe, there are many examples of situati onal irony that are used comparably in both texts. DramaticRead MoreThe Brown s A Forest, And The Devil !1742 Words   |  7 PagesThe Brown’s, A Forest, and The Devil! Oh My Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† tells a tale of when man, who is supposedly good in nature, faces temptation and evil head on. The story, much like the tale of Adam Eve, is an allegory for the evil and selfishness of mankind; for young Goodman Brown s fight with his inner temptations and his outward struggle with the devil himself represents mankind s lost encounter within the battle of good and evil. Though it is not clear whether the events inRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Young Goodman Brown Essay1932 Words   |  8 PagesMichael Sprute AP English Mrs. Berry 4 October 2016 Humanity is Destined to be Maple I. Introduction A. First paragraph of introduction 1. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a dark romantic short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne originally published in 1835. 2. Set in 17th century New England, Hawthorne utilizes this short story to convey his distaste for the Salem Witch Trials and his great-grandfather, John Hathorne’s participation as a judge. In addition, he demonstrates the Puritan idea that all humans