Nathaniel Hawthorne's interpretation of evil, I think, is an internal force.
I say that Hawthorne represents it internally because in the beginning of the story, Young Goodman Brown (referred to from now on as YGB to save me time) walks in the forest not exactly knowing what he will find, or do. He knows he is up to some "present evil purpose," but he seems a little surprised when he comes across the devil in the clearing and certainly has no idea what the gathering with the fire is.
I think YGB has to have some kind of evil deep inside himself that compels him to go to the forest, or to dream that dream, and it ruins the rest of his life, because now that the evil inside him has been awakened, he sees it everywhere.
I believe that evil can be many different types of actions, qualities, or personalities, and, depending on who you are or what you believe, you will perceive evil in a different way than others will.
That said, Nathaniel Hawthorne's perspectives and beliefs on evil were influence by his personality. Living in the time period of 1804-1864, Hawthorne came from the setting of the main stories he wrote, born in Salem, Massachusetts and being the descendant of one of the original judges of the Salem Witchcraft Trials in 1662. He had a wife, whom, from the information I could find, he loved very much, and three children he was close too also. When working as a writer for his career had a dry spell, he moved with his wife and family back to Salem, and town that he himself said he detested. After a time working in the place he loathed, Hawthorne again went back to writing, publishing his sensational hit, The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne's themes throughout his life in the books he wrote were Puritan obsession, intolerance, religion, sin, guilt, and anxiety. Although some critics say that Hawthorne and many other writers of the day had exaggerated the way Puritans actually were, his books, nonetheless, make for interesting reads. (If anyone wants to check these facts, I found them at this website: http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/hawthor.htm .) I also confirmed this information with Wikipedia.)
So, we now have a pointless biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne's life! Or do we, hahaha? Well, let's think. As we can see in Young Goodman Brown, one of the themes towards the end of the story is the feeling of being trapped in our lives. Having to live and work in a place he hated so thoroughly, might Hawthorne have felt trapped? Could, then, the idea of being "trapped" by the devil have appeared so strongly in his work because of personal influences? I think that explains why the cycle of sin, suffering, and ignorance appealed to him so. Also, I believe that Hawthorne might have felt that by writing stories that expressed his truth about the Puritans, that he was redeeming his ancestors for their involvement with the Salem Witch Trials, leading him to write about Puritans and their sin-obsessed life and showing such a lifestyle for the evil it was. Those sinners in Young Goodman Brown that Brown does not expect to see at the devil's communion represent the idea of betrayal, as Hawthorne's ancestor had betrayed his descendents. In Hawthorne's life, too, we can find how his relationships with his wife and children shaped his work, making more powerfully symbolic characters.
Well, this blog is simply too long to be allowed! Hahaha, I do apologize. I hope you all have a wonderful evening!
Boo. I had written something here, and then my computer died, and I honestly don't remember what I had written. So here goes nothing.
I think Hawthorne defines evil as straying away from the path or from what you believe. We talked a lot in class about how because the Devil was disguised, he was able to lead Goodman Brown away from what he wanted to do. This reminds me so much of Little Red Riding Hood, because of the wolf in the forest pulling 'red' away from the path and distracting her.
I agree with his definition because I think one shows signs of evil when they lose self-control, or discipline. Through discipline, Goodman Brown would have been able to stay on the path.
Yes, this is much shorter than my original version, but I just can't think of anything else to say
One thought I had about Hawthorne's perspective of evil in Young Goodman Brown is that people are ignorant to the bad things. When Goodman Brown meets the devil, he says he wants to go back, but while he is thinking about going back, he keeps walking. If I was walking with the devil and I had the choice to turn around, I probably would. This makes me think that people are ignorant to evil, even when they are looking it right in the eye.
Hawthorne would define evil as the persuasions a person receives from bad situations. I also think he would define it as an internal force that every single person has inside of them.
I do not agree with the fact that evil is an internal force. Every person is born pure and clean with no sins. They are good people until they are put into bad siuations or bad surroundings. A person who has never been exposed to evil, does not know what evil actions and sins are. They would not know how to commit these actions either.
Wow Tina's comment was especially powerful. I also belive Hawthrone considers evil as an internal struggle. In one of the begginning paragraphs YGB says he is on a present evil purpose. But he doesnt quite expect the devil. What did he expect. Or was he not surprised at all.
Nathaniel Hawthorne defines "evil" through Goodman Brown in several different ways. In the short story, evil is often masked internally, rather then seen in a person's actions. When Goodman Brown sees the worshipers in the forest, it is not the criminals or sinners in his town; rather, it is the preacher, the elders, and his Puritan teachers. Through these hidden identities in the characters, Hawthorne illustrates the evil people can hide.
Also, Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses evil through the deceit. Upon entering the forest, Goodman Brown comments about the evil Indians that could be hiding behind trees, or even the devil himself at his elbow. However, when the devil appears as a man, much like himself, Brown does not notice. In the woods, the devil also uses his staff to deceive Goodman Brown. His seeming "support" comes off as helpful and kind, whereas the devil is really luring Brown into evil.
I also think that Hawthorne believes evil is an internal force because I also believe that Young Goodman Brown was dream. He showed how there was evil deep inside Brown that only came out through his subconcious during sleep. I don't agree that Hawthorne believes that evil is brought upon by external forces because Brown searched out the devil himself and was almost expecting it when he went into the woods. So even though the evil was maybe increased by the devil, it had to have started within Brown first.
I agree with what everyone has said about Hawthorne's interpretation of evil, and how it is an internal struggle that is heightened by experiences. I wanted to also bring up the point that Hawthorne hints at through some of his characters, which is that people feel more comfortable with concrete edvidence of something, not just a strong feeling. When they feel that they can't rely on their feelings as proof of the existance of God and God helping them, they turn to other things that may give them strength. Because most of these people are very minimally educated, the jump to conclusions and certain beliefs more quickly than others who have more information. Hawthorne illustrates these peoples' struggle with evil internally, and continues to show in the end of the story, that when these people are given evidence they can see and put their faith in, they are more quick to "jump on the bandwagon" than if they were relying on their feelings.
I hope this made even the slightest of sense. I am kind of frazzled at the moment, so I hope this isn't to far off track. :)
I personally think Hawthorne views evil as an innate and internal temptation that we must battle within ourselves and that if you lose that battle, you will live a life of unhappiness and disappointment.
The "Devil" in the story had so many qualities that Goodman Brown saw in himself. The way I see it, this shows that the evil he was trying to escape wasn't technically the Devil, but rather his own weaknesses and fears.
I don't fully agree with Hawthorne's perception of evil, however, because I don't believe we all are born with evil inside of us. Instead, I believe that those of us who give in to external evil forces just lacked the strength to overcome them.
In Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne describes evil as a guilty pleasure. I say this because at every chance Goodman Brown has to turn around and go back home, he doesn't. It is almost as if he had never had the freedom to make his own decision's and now that he is out in the middle of the woods, he has found how great it is to have free will and does'nt want to go back. Hawthorne shows us the difficulties of what we know we should do instead of what is easy and gives us a trill. He is saying that evil is not the temptations around us but rather when we decide to indulge oursleves in those temptation as Goodman brown did every time he took another step into the woods.
I think that Nathaniel Hawthorne would define evil as temptations form your fellow man based on "Young Goodman Brown". I agree with this definition because in "Young Goodman Brown" Young Goodman Brown stets out on this quest for an unknown reason and he begins to have doubts. But as he ventures forward he comes across respectable, Christian people from his village he thought he knew, though these people don't out right tempt Young Goodman Brown but the pique his curiosity still leading him down the path to evil and humanly temptations.
I think that Nathaniel Hawthorne thinks that evil is a place that you can't return from. The end of YGB is all about how Goodman Brown was stuck with the ever present evil inside himself, and he never escaped. I think that he wanted to say it is impossible to come back once you've crossed over to the dark side. I kind of agree with his interpritation of evil, I definitly think there is a little evil hidden inside everyone, and something has to bring it out, but I don't agree with the part where you can't come back to being good. There are plenty of instaces where people have overcome evil the forms of addictions, behavior, and more.
I agree in that Hawthorne represented "evil" in Young Goodman Brown internally in the people themselves. As we know after reading a couple different interpretations of wrath and evil; Little Red Riding Hood, and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, that evil can be represented and interpreted in many different ways. I think that Hawthorne is saying that inside everybody there is a little evil and that we as humans just naturally let that show sometimes, but like Jessica B. said in class today it is what we do after the fact that counts the most.
I agree with Hawthorne, because I think that inside everybody there is some evil and that it is a strong force from within.
I think that Nathaniel Hawthorne defines evil as sneaky. I don't know if Goodman Brown knew that the stranger was a symbol of the devil. I think that Hawthorne implies that humans can not always tell what is good and what is evil if they are hidden. When Goodman Brown was walking through the forest I don't know if he knew what was going on. I think that if he knew that he was taking a walk with the devil then he would have ran away.
I also believe that Hawthorne believes evil is lying dormant inside everyone. I also think that he believes that it is a choice, because he chooses to go in the forest, even when "Faith" offered him a way out.
I think that Nathanial Hawthorne's interpretation of evil is definitely represented as an inside force. If that makes sense.
Not only is Mr. Brown supposed to be a good, righteous man, but we have no proof that he has EVER done anything wrong, EVER. And then along comes a creepy guy with a staff. The Devil to some, but I don't think that Hawthorne's intent was to show the Devil as one to pay attention to the little, and insignificant. I think that the people that Brown meets are 'Hells Angels' if you will.
Although I think that tina and carly have a good point in the fact that the evil is an internal evil, personally, I think that it is external. When Good Brother Brown is in the forest he is pressured by a stranger to do evil things. Deep down Brown wanted to complete the hanus acts, the real influence was the devil who finally forced him to turn towards satism.
I totally agree with Annika. She said she thought evil was straying from the path that you believe in, much like the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. The devil can disguise himself/herself in order to get a weak soul to be on the same side. The devil is very powerful and can easily take over a poor soul. It's very much an internal and mental struggle.
If strayed from the right path, it can be devastating because you not only hurt yourself, but also the ones you love too, in Goodman's case, Faith.
i really agree with the definitions that laura thought that Nathaniel Hawthorne's definition would be. I definitely think that Hawthorne thought that evil is an internal force. You can see he interpertes it that way because the preacher, elders, and Puritan teachers were able to hide their evil by a mask. This mask also brings up apperance vs. reality that we talked a ton about last year. They appear to be deep in the church and everything but in reality are sided with the devil. But i agree with his ideas of evil. But i think in different situations evil can turn out different and have a completely different idea about it.
I think Nathaniel Hawthorne is portraying evil as something that is outside as well as inside us. No man can be all good and all bad, everyone has their Pros and Cons. In this story, Young Goodman Brown first encounters evil externally on this way to the woods. Without thinking of the consequence of his actions, he follows the devil into the woods. But the internal evil that is inside Young Goodman Brown has yet to be awakened. Being in the presence of the devil, the evil inside him arouses. This confuses him.
I think that Nathaniel Hawthorne would define evil as an internal voice that can take control of you when you are the weakest. In “Young Goodman Brown” the devil continued to ask Goodman if he wanted the walking stick because he was weak. In class we discussed how the walking stick could represent evil. Every time things get hard you can lean on temptation or sin to help deal with it. I also think that evil represents a being that will do anything to get you on his side. The devil told Goodman that he would not harm his wife. However, when it looked like Goodman’s faith would prevail the devil resorted to breaking his promise. Evil is usually linked some how with pain and hate. The devil knew that if Goodman were in a lot of pain he would turn to evil because it was the easiest resort. Over all, I think that evil is defined as an internal force that can take control, however you have to let it.
I totally and completely agree with Annika. Evil is going in a different direction from what you truly believe in. In the story it seemed as if the devil had disguised himself and that was the force slowly pulling YGB away from what he believed in. I also agree, with basically everyone, that Nathaniel Hawthorne's interpretation of evil is an internal battle. Getting convinced to do something against what you believe in is all mental. It depends on how you handle the situation and the decisions that come along with it.
I think that Hawthorne, as many people have said already, would say that evil is an internal force. In "Young Goodman Brown", the evil seemed to stem from one man, who then infected other respectable people of the town, who in turn tried to convert others in Salem to become witches and wizards. I agree with this definition because it did not seem as though the evil came over the people in the town of its own accord. The evil seemed come from the Puritan people themselves, because although the devil was the one leading them astray, they were the ones that accepted their sinful nature and decided to become involved with the devil. Young Goodman Brown also seems unconsciously drawn to what was evil, and continued on in the dark forest even after voicing his “reluctance” to go further and be in the company of witches. I also think that Hawthorne would define evil as a force that is unavoidable and one that leaves a mark on those who encounter it. In the story, even the ministers and righteous Puritans were not immune to temptation, and found themselves turning to witchcraft. Brown was faced with the choice of remaining faithful to God or satisfying his sinful desires, and ultimately had to choose what path to take. Brown was left traumatized after his experience, and became wary of everyone, fearing that everyone he once thought righteous would turn out to be a witch. Brown’s encounter with the evil of Salem left him bitter and distrustful.
I also agree that Nathaniel Hawthorne's interpretation of evil is an internal battle.
In the discussion today someone brought up that maybe YGB had a bit of evil deep inside him that compelled him to follow the man into the forest. I definitly agree with this because why else would you follow a stranger into unknown territory?
I also agree with what saram said, on how it is "evil" to drift away from what you believe [which YGB eventually did] but what matters the most is how you handle the situation afterwards.
First of all, i agree with laura's ideas as to how Hawthorne defines "evil."
One form of "evil" was displayed in Young Goodman Brown's decision to ignore his conscience which told him to leave the "devil" traveler, and instead, follow him through the forest on a journey which he knew ahead of time was not one to be proud of. His loss of sense as to what he truely wanted and believed in was lost by this evil that the devil forced upon him.
Another perspective of how evil can take form is through a disguise or lie. The devil hardly appeared as a disgusting man with a pitchfork and horns, but rather, as a normal human. This disguise is one of the reasons that Young Goodman Brown is lured more easily.
I definitely agree with this definition. Many times i find that the things that i end up regretting, were caused by my mistake to not follow my conscience.(Although these instances in my life cannot QUITE compare with those of Goodman Brown.)
Hello, I think that like any good puritan Nathaniel Hawthorne believes evil is everywhere. He says that Goodman Brown was running toward the woods because of the "instinct that guides mortal man to evil." Hawthorne also says that, "an anthem of sin rushed loudly upon [Goodman Brown's] ears." This shows how he thinks evil comes from within, and from the environment around us. From what I can tell Puritans thought that everything was evil and they had to live a pure life away from it.
I disagree with this. I think that the direct source of evil is wherever that instance of evil is coming from. I know, sounds stupid and simple, and it is. I think people read to far into things. Really, evil is just a matter of perception. What you might think is evil, other people might think is the only good way.
Most religions are so sure that their way is the only pure way and that everyone else's way is evil. Then these "evil" people with their own other religion view the first religion as evil.
I think that Hawethorn would describe evil as something that is ever present. No matter what Goodman Brown did he was confronted with evil time and time again, which sybolizes that which ever way he turned, the face of evil followed. I agree with this description of evil because i think that commiting an act of evil is a consious choice. This theory suggests that in every action, even though it might be aimed at good, has some considered evil consequence.
I agree with sweta when she said that Hawthorne seemed to view evil as internal as well as external.
He presented it internally when Young Goodman Brown battles whether or not to go into the forest and continue on the dark path ahead of him.
On the flipside, the devil tempted him and persuaded him to continue down the road he was going. This was definitely an external force working on his internal struggle of morals.
I agree with bits and pieces of his definiton of evil. I do not believe that we were all born naturally evil. That's just not the case. However, that does not mean that evil can't be an internal conflict we struggle with. I also agree that evil can take the form of an external conflict. Temptations arise that have nothing to do with you, and they pull you in.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown evil is shown in each character but it is hidden until the Devil tries to pull it out of its cage and into the light for all to see. The easiest way this is shown is when "The Devil" as everyone is calling him, offers his staff repeatedly. For everyone has demons inside and they want them kept there where no one will be able to see except God.
I agree with that evil is an internal force. Maddi, I like what you said about how Goodman's dream showed how his evil came out when he was subconscious. My friend did a study once on dreams and she said that they all have a piece of our deepest fear and a piece of our deepest desires. So maybe Goodman knows the evil is in him, fears it, and wants it gone.
Also, we were talking today about how being evil is a choice that Goodman made before he even reached the forest. He also kinda summoned the devil in there, almost daring him to taunt him. I think he's saying that the devil can't force evil into us, it's something we add and feed ourselves.
Hawthorne's defintion of "evil" I think is more of us humans and what dwells in us. The more manipulative personality that can come out and the power to question their own morals. Goodman Brown was manipulative when arguing with the man whohad trait of the devil. His words made Goodman Brown question his surroundings in his real life and the people in his life, as well as faith in a symbolic sense. I agree that this is one definition of evil and one example of it. But, I also feel that there are other definitions and perspectives on evil.
33 comments:
Nathaniel Hawthorne's interpretation of evil, I think, is an internal force.
I say that Hawthorne represents it internally because in the beginning of the story, Young Goodman Brown (referred to from now on as YGB to save me time) walks in the forest not exactly knowing what he will find, or do. He knows he is up to some "present evil purpose," but he seems a little surprised when he comes across the devil in the clearing and certainly has no idea what the gathering with the fire is.
I think YGB has to have some kind of evil deep inside himself that compels him to go to the forest, or to dream that dream, and it ruins the rest of his life, because now that the evil inside him has been awakened, he sees it everywhere.
I believe that evil can be many different types of actions, qualities, or personalities, and, depending on who you are or what you believe, you will perceive evil in a different way than others will.
That said, Nathaniel Hawthorne's perspectives and beliefs on evil were influence by his personality. Living in the time period of 1804-1864, Hawthorne came from the setting of the main stories he wrote, born in Salem, Massachusetts and being the descendant of one of the original judges of the Salem Witchcraft Trials in 1662. He had a wife, whom, from the information I could find, he loved very much, and three children he was close too also. When working as a writer for his career had a dry spell, he moved with his wife and family back to Salem, and town that he himself said he detested. After a time working in the place he loathed, Hawthorne again went back to writing, publishing his sensational hit, The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne's themes throughout his life in the books he wrote were Puritan obsession, intolerance, religion, sin, guilt, and anxiety. Although some critics say that Hawthorne and many other writers of the day had exaggerated the way Puritans actually were, his books, nonetheless, make for interesting reads. (If anyone wants to check these facts, I found them at this website: http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/hawthor.htm .) I also confirmed this information with Wikipedia.)
So, we now have a pointless biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne's life! Or do we, hahaha? Well, let's think. As we can see in Young Goodman Brown, one of the themes towards the end of the story is the feeling of being trapped in our lives. Having to live and work in a place he hated so thoroughly, might Hawthorne have felt trapped? Could, then, the idea of being "trapped" by the devil have appeared so strongly in his work because of personal influences? I think that explains why the cycle of sin, suffering, and ignorance appealed to him so. Also, I believe that Hawthorne might have felt that by writing stories that expressed his truth about the Puritans, that he was redeeming his ancestors for their involvement with the Salem Witch Trials, leading him to write about Puritans and their sin-obsessed life and showing such a lifestyle for the evil it was. Those sinners in Young Goodman Brown that Brown does not expect to see at the devil's communion represent the idea of betrayal, as Hawthorne's ancestor had betrayed his descendents. In Hawthorne's life, too, we can find how his relationships with his wife and children shaped his work, making more powerfully symbolic characters.
Well, this blog is simply too long to be allowed! Hahaha, I do apologize. I hope you all have a wonderful evening!
~Yours, Meghan C.
Boo. I had written something here, and then my computer died, and I honestly don't remember what I had written. So here goes nothing.
I think Hawthorne defines evil as straying away from the path or from what you believe. We talked a lot in class about how because the Devil was disguised, he was able to lead Goodman Brown away from what he wanted to do. This reminds me so much of Little Red Riding Hood, because of the wolf in the forest pulling 'red' away from the path and distracting her.
I agree with his definition because I think one shows signs of evil when they lose self-control, or discipline. Through discipline, Goodman Brown would have been able to stay on the path.
Yes, this is much shorter than my original version, but I just can't think of anything else to say
One thought I had about Hawthorne's perspective of evil in Young Goodman Brown is that people are ignorant to the bad things. When Goodman Brown meets the devil, he says he wants to go back, but while he is thinking about going back, he keeps walking. If I was walking with the devil and I had the choice to turn around, I probably would. This makes me think that people are ignorant to evil, even when they are looking it right in the eye.
Hawthorne would define evil as the persuasions a person receives from bad situations. I also think he would define it as an internal force that every single person has inside of them.
I do not agree with the fact that evil is an internal force. Every person is born pure and clean with no sins. They are good people until they are put into bad siuations or bad surroundings. A person who has never been exposed to evil, does not know what evil actions and sins are. They would not know how to commit these actions either.
Wow Tina's comment was especially powerful. I also belive Hawthrone considers evil as an internal struggle. In one of the begginning paragraphs YGB says he is on a present evil purpose. But he doesnt quite expect the devil. What did he expect. Or was he not surprised at all.
Nathaniel Hawthorne defines "evil" through Goodman Brown in several different ways. In the short story, evil is often masked internally, rather then seen in a person's actions. When Goodman Brown sees the worshipers in the forest, it is not the criminals or sinners in his town; rather, it is the preacher, the elders, and his Puritan teachers. Through these hidden identities in the characters, Hawthorne illustrates the evil people can hide.
Also, Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses evil through the deceit. Upon entering the forest, Goodman Brown comments about the evil Indians that could be hiding behind trees, or even the devil himself at his elbow. However, when the devil appears as a man, much like himself, Brown does not notice. In the woods, the devil also uses his staff to deceive Goodman Brown. His seeming "support" comes off as helpful and kind, whereas the devil is really luring Brown into evil.
I also think that Hawthorne believes evil is an internal force because I also believe that Young Goodman Brown was dream. He showed how there was evil deep inside Brown that only came out through his subconcious during sleep. I don't agree that Hawthorne believes that evil is brought upon by external forces because Brown searched out the devil himself and was almost expecting it when he went into the woods. So even though the evil was maybe increased by the devil, it had to have started within Brown first.
I agree with what everyone has said about Hawthorne's interpretation of evil, and how it is an internal struggle that is heightened by experiences. I wanted to also bring up the point that Hawthorne hints at through some of his characters, which is that people feel more comfortable with concrete edvidence of something, not just a strong feeling. When they feel that they can't rely on their feelings as proof of the existance of God and God helping them, they turn to other things that may give them strength. Because most of these people are very minimally educated, the jump to conclusions and certain beliefs more quickly than others who have more information. Hawthorne illustrates these peoples' struggle with evil internally, and continues to show in the end of the story, that when these people are given evidence they can see and put their faith in, they are more quick to "jump on the bandwagon" than if they were relying on their feelings.
I hope this made even the slightest of sense. I am kind of frazzled at the moment, so I hope this isn't to far off track.
:)
I personally think Hawthorne views evil as an innate and internal temptation that we must battle within ourselves and that if you lose that battle, you will live a life of unhappiness and disappointment.
The "Devil" in the story had so many qualities that Goodman Brown saw in himself. The way I see it, this shows that the evil he was trying to escape wasn't technically the Devil, but rather his own weaknesses and fears.
I don't fully agree with Hawthorne's perception of evil, however, because I don't believe we all are born with evil inside of us. Instead, I believe that those of us who give in to external evil forces just lacked the strength to overcome them.
In Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne describes evil as a guilty pleasure. I say this because at every chance Goodman Brown has to turn around and go back home, he doesn't. It is almost as if he had never had the freedom to make his own decision's and now that he is out in the middle of the woods, he has found how great it is to have free will and does'nt want to go back. Hawthorne shows us the difficulties of what we know we should do instead of what is easy and gives us a trill. He is saying that evil is not the temptations around us but rather when we decide to indulge oursleves in those temptation as Goodman brown did every time he took another step into the woods.
I think that Nathaniel Hawthorne would define evil as temptations form your fellow man based on "Young Goodman Brown". I agree with this definition because in "Young Goodman Brown" Young Goodman Brown stets out on this quest for an unknown reason and he begins to have doubts. But as he ventures forward he comes across respectable, Christian people from his village he thought he knew, though these people don't out right tempt Young Goodman Brown but the pique his curiosity still leading him down the path to evil and humanly temptations.
I think that Nathaniel Hawthorne thinks that evil is a place that you can't return from. The end of YGB is all about how Goodman Brown was stuck with the ever present evil inside himself, and he never escaped. I think that he wanted to say it is impossible to come back once you've crossed over to the dark side. I kind of agree with his interpritation of evil, I definitly think there is a little evil hidden inside everyone, and something has to bring it out, but I don't agree with the part where you can't come back to being good. There are plenty of instaces where people have overcome evil the forms of addictions, behavior, and more.
I agree in that Hawthorne represented "evil" in Young Goodman Brown internally in the people themselves. As we know after reading a couple different interpretations of wrath and evil; Little Red Riding Hood, and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, that evil can be represented and interpreted in many different ways. I think that Hawthorne is saying that inside everybody there is a little evil and that we as humans just naturally let that show sometimes, but like Jessica B. said in class today it is what we do after the fact that counts the most.
I agree with Hawthorne, because I think that inside everybody there is some evil and that it is a strong force from within.
I think that Nathaniel Hawthorne defines evil as sneaky. I don't know if Goodman Brown knew that the stranger was a symbol of the devil. I think that Hawthorne implies that humans can not always tell what is good and what is evil if they are hidden. When Goodman Brown was walking through the forest I don't know if he knew what was going on. I think that if he knew that he was taking a walk with the devil then he would have ran away.
I also believe that Hawthorne believes evil is lying dormant inside everyone. I also think that he believes that it is a choice, because he chooses to go in the forest, even when "Faith" offered him a way out.
I think that Nathanial Hawthorne's interpretation of evil is definitely represented as an inside force. If that makes sense.
Not only is Mr. Brown supposed to be a good, righteous man, but we have no proof that he has EVER done anything wrong, EVER. And then along comes a creepy guy with a staff. The Devil to some, but I don't think that Hawthorne's intent was to show the Devil as one to pay attention to the little, and insignificant. I think that the people that Brown meets are 'Hells Angels' if you will.
And thats all I have to say.
Although I think that tina and carly have a good point in the fact that the evil is an internal evil, personally, I think that it is external. When Good Brother Brown is in the forest he is pressured by a stranger to do evil things. Deep down Brown wanted to complete the hanus acts, the real influence was the devil who finally forced him to turn towards satism.
I totally agree with Annika. She said she thought evil was straying from the path that you believe in, much like the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. The devil can disguise himself/herself in order to get a weak soul to be on the same side. The devil is very powerful and can easily take over a poor soul. It's very much an internal and mental struggle.
If strayed from the right path, it can be devastating because you not only hurt yourself, but also the ones you love too, in Goodman's case, Faith.
i really agree with the definitions that laura thought that Nathaniel Hawthorne's definition would be.
I definitely think that Hawthorne thought that evil is an internal force. You can see he interpertes it that way because the preacher, elders, and Puritan teachers were able to hide their evil by a mask. This mask also brings up apperance vs. reality that we talked a ton about last year. They appear to be deep in the church and everything but in reality are sided with the devil. But i agree with his ideas of evil. But i think in different situations evil can turn out different and have a completely different idea about it.
I think Nathaniel Hawthorne is portraying evil as something that is outside as well as inside us. No man can be all good and all bad, everyone has their Pros and Cons. In this story, Young Goodman Brown first encounters evil externally on this way to the woods. Without thinking of the consequence of his actions, he follows the devil into the woods. But the internal evil that is inside Young Goodman Brown has yet to be awakened.
Being in the presence of the devil, the evil inside him arouses. This confuses him.
I think that Nathaniel Hawthorne would define evil as an internal voice that can take control of you when you are the weakest. In “Young Goodman Brown” the devil continued to ask Goodman if he wanted the walking stick because he was weak. In class we discussed how the walking stick could represent evil. Every time things get hard you can lean on temptation or sin to help deal with it. I also think that evil represents a being that will do anything to get you on his side. The devil told Goodman that he would not harm his wife. However, when it looked like Goodman’s faith would prevail the devil resorted to breaking his promise. Evil is usually linked some how with pain and hate. The devil knew that if Goodman were in a lot of pain he would turn to evil because it was the easiest resort. Over all, I think that evil is defined as an internal force that can take control, however you have to let it.
I totally and completely agree with Annika. Evil is going in a different direction from what you truly believe in. In the story it seemed as if the devil had disguised himself and that was the force slowly pulling YGB away from what he believed in.
I also agree, with basically everyone, that Nathaniel Hawthorne's interpretation of evil is an internal battle. Getting convinced to do something against what you believe in is all mental. It depends on how you handle the situation and the decisions that come along with it.
I really hope that made some sense to someone.
I think that Hawthorne, as many people have said already, would say that evil is an internal force. In "Young Goodman Brown", the evil seemed to stem from one man, who then infected other respectable people of the town, who in turn tried to convert others in Salem to become witches and wizards. I agree with this definition because it did not seem as though the evil came over the people in the town of its own accord. The evil seemed come from the Puritan people themselves, because although the devil was the one leading them astray, they were the ones that accepted their sinful nature and decided to become involved with the devil. Young Goodman Brown also seems unconsciously drawn to what was evil, and continued on in the dark forest even after voicing his “reluctance” to go further and be in the company of witches. I also think that Hawthorne would define evil as a force that is unavoidable and one that leaves a mark on those who encounter it. In the story, even the ministers and righteous Puritans were not immune to temptation, and found themselves turning to witchcraft. Brown was faced with the choice of remaining faithful to God or satisfying his sinful desires, and ultimately had to choose what path to take. Brown was left traumatized after his experience, and became wary of everyone, fearing that everyone he once thought righteous would turn out to be a witch. Brown’s encounter with the evil of Salem left him bitter and distrustful.
I also agree that Nathaniel Hawthorne's interpretation of evil is an internal battle.
In the discussion today someone brought up that maybe YGB had a bit of evil deep inside him that compelled him to follow the man into the forest. I definitly agree with this because why else would you follow a stranger into unknown territory?
I also agree with what saram said, on how it is "evil" to drift away from what you believe [which YGB eventually did] but what matters the most is how you handle the situation afterwards.
First of all, i agree with laura's ideas as to how Hawthorne defines "evil."
One form of "evil" was displayed in Young Goodman Brown's decision to ignore his conscience which told him to leave the "devil" traveler, and instead, follow him through the forest on a journey which he knew ahead of time was not one to be proud of. His loss of sense as to what he truely wanted and believed in was lost by this evil that the devil forced upon him.
Another perspective of how evil can take form is through a disguise or lie. The devil hardly appeared as a disgusting man with a pitchfork and horns, but rather, as a normal human. This disguise is one of the reasons that Young Goodman Brown is lured more easily.
I definitely agree with this definition. Many times i find that the things that i end up regretting, were caused by my mistake to not follow my conscience.(Although these instances in my life cannot QUITE compare with those of Goodman Brown.)
-Emma
haha. sara.
Hello,
I think that like any good puritan Nathaniel Hawthorne believes evil is everywhere. He says that Goodman Brown was running toward the woods because of the "instinct that guides mortal man to evil." Hawthorne also says that, "an anthem of sin rushed loudly upon [Goodman Brown's] ears." This shows how he thinks evil comes from within, and from the environment around us. From what I can tell Puritans thought that everything was evil and they had to live a pure life away from it.
I disagree with this. I think that the direct source of evil is wherever that instance of evil is coming from. I know, sounds stupid and simple, and it is. I think people read to far into things. Really, evil is just a matter of perception. What you might think is evil, other people might think is the only good way.
Most religions are so sure that their way is the only pure way and that everyone else's way is evil. Then these "evil" people with their own other religion view the first religion as evil.
People that see evil are too judgmental.
I think that Hawethorn would describe evil as something that is ever present. No matter what Goodman Brown did he was confronted with evil time and time again, which sybolizes that which ever way he turned, the face of evil followed. I agree with this description of evil because i think that commiting an act of evil is a consious choice. This theory suggests that in every action, even though it might be aimed at good, has some considered evil consequence.
I agree with sweta when she said that Hawthorne seemed to view evil as internal as well as external.
He presented it internally when Young Goodman Brown battles whether or not to go into the forest and continue on the dark path ahead of him.
On the flipside, the devil tempted him and persuaded him to continue down the road he was going. This was definitely an external force working on his internal struggle of morals.
I agree with bits and pieces of his definiton of evil. I do not believe that we were all born naturally evil. That's just not the case. However, that does not mean that evil can't be an internal conflict we struggle with. I also agree that evil can take the form of an external conflict. Temptations arise that have nothing to do with you, and they pull you in.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown evil is shown in each character but it is hidden until the Devil tries to pull it out of its cage and into the light for all to see. The easiest way this is shown is when "The Devil" as everyone is calling him, offers his staff repeatedly. For everyone has demons inside and they want them kept there where no one will be able to see except God.
I agree with that evil is an internal force. Maddi, I like what you said about how Goodman's dream showed how his evil came out when he was subconscious. My friend did a study once on dreams and she said that they all have a piece of our deepest fear and a piece of our deepest desires. So maybe Goodman knows the evil is in him, fears it, and wants it gone.
Also, we were talking today about how being evil is a choice that Goodman made before he even reached the forest. He also kinda summoned the devil in there, almost daring him to taunt him. I think he's saying that the devil can't force evil into us, it's something we add and feed ourselves.
Hawthorne's defintion of "evil" I think is more of us humans and what dwells in us. The more manipulative personality that can come out and the power to question their own morals. Goodman Brown was manipulative when arguing with the man whohad trait of the devil. His words made Goodman Brown question his surroundings in his real life and the people in his life, as well as faith in a symbolic sense. I agree that this is one definition of evil and one example of it. But, I also feel that there are other definitions and perspectives on evil.
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