Just finished reading Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown.” At first, I was very much reminded of the morality play, which is a subject of discussion in my Shakespeare courses. There’s a main character who represents humankind (Emerson would call him “Man”) and on either side of him is Vice and Virtue. The allegorical morality plays portray the struggle between good and evil, and usually end with the Man choosing a Godly life instead of succumbing to Vice and the devil. Once I recognized “Young Goodman Brown” as an allegorical story (remember, no prior knowledge of this short story at all), I wondered if it would follow the morality play pattern at all. The old man in the woods as the vice character, and Faith as the virtue character.
Well no, obviously. I kept reading and the story became more complicated. I was particularly confused by Faith. At first, she’s the one who wants to keep Goodman Brown from going into the forest. But then it is the seeming loss of Faith (he finds her pink ribbon) that finally convinces him to continue on into evil. And she’s the other convert to evil. When Goodman returns home, Faith is wearing her pink ribbons again. Has she returned to innocence and purity? Is Faith higher than… better than the rest of the people Goodman comes across? It seems like, as Faith, she would be able to come out of the forest unscathed. Or am I making her too much of a symbol.
I thought the historical references were interesting. I don’t know much about early American history but I noticed the old man’s mentioning of the persecution of Quakers and King Philip’s War. And I noticed the references to the Salem Witch trials. I felt like Hawthorne was trying to point out the corruption in the Puritan lifestyle and the dark side to New England’s history. Some very un-Christian acts were committed.
January 30, 2012
“My Kinsman, Major Molineux” was a very disconcerting short story. Possibly because of its ambiguity. While reading “Young Goodman Brown,” I accepted the allegorical nature of the story very early on. I could easily acknowledge its dream like elements because it didn’t seem like Hawthorne was trying to make the story verisimilar. On the other hand, “My Kinsman” seemed more lifelike, especially because of the first paragraph. Hawthorne employs a very different writing style at the very beginning—distant, pompous, general, realistic, and frankly… boring.
I expected the story to follow in this style but
instead we meet Robin and the writing style changes. As does the “realness” of
the story. I kept thinking of A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. Partially because of Robin’s name (Robin Goodfellow, Puck
the fairy) and because of the reference to the Moonshine of Pyramus and Thisbe.
Like “Young Goodman Brown,” there is a moment at
the end of the story when the main character “wakes up.” After Robin breaks out
into laughter and the tar & feathering crowd leaves, there is a break in
the text and then the old man asks, “Well Robin, are you dreaming?” and Robin
gives a start. Then he has to reconcile the dream like events that he has
experienced with reality. He wants to leave the town. This ending reminded me
of “Young Goodman Brown” because Goodman Brown finds himself alone in the
forest after the devilish baptism. He’s changed by his experience, and not for
the better.
At least Robin has the chance to change. The
gentlemen offers him that at the end: “Or, if you prefer to remain with us,
perhaps, as you are a shrewd youth, you may rise in the world without the help
of your kinsman Major Molineux.” And perhaps he will choose this, since he
chose to laugh at his kinsman, thereby making himself independent.
Maybe I didn’t like “My Kinsman” as much because
it's about my stage of life. It’s a bit of a coming of age story and Robin thinks he can make it in the town only through his kinsman’s name. It’s a
story of independence, both for Robin and for the townspeople. And it's a bit frightening
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