In the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown, events occur that make it difficult for both the protagonist and the reader to determine whether it was all a stream of consciousness or reality with a lot of mysticism. The action occurred in Puritan Salem at the end of the 17th century. A young man named Brown goes to the forest at dusk and returns to his wife as an inwardly changed man after spending the night there. From the beginning, Brown’s wife, Faith, begs him not to leave her that night and wait until dawn. However, the protagonist insists that he needs to go on this journey between sunset and sunrise.
His wife’s fears are not in vain because young Goodman meets what he was most afraid of during his trip – he meets the devil. The Devil brings young Goodman Brown to the ceremony, where he is shocked to see the purest and holiest people in his community, such as the priest, Deacon Gookin, and even his wife. Even though the devil conspiratorially urges Brown to join them, the young man refuses to give up and be baptized in evil, and suddenly, all the people at the ceremony disappear. He wants to return home, hoping that everything that happens in the forest is just a dream, a figment of his imagination, but he cannot say for sure. As a result, this situation dramatically changes the inner state of the hero, who loses confidence in everyone in his environment, even in the faith of his wife.
I disagree that Young Goodman Brown is a classic American tale. At first glance, Hawthorne wrote a story about witchcraft or religion, which is often not shared by many. However, it seems to me that it should be borne in mind that such mind travel and witchcraft are not as common in the US as in other countries. Many different nations used similar hooks much more often in their works, which was associated with a highly developed mythology.
For someone outside of America, the witchcraft in this story does not make it an American tale. On the contrary, the story is rather atypical for America. Although mythology has been much more developed, rumors of witchcraft seem to have their main origins in Africa, where everything in the world is explained by it more than anywhere else in the world. While it is fair to agree that the cause of witchcraft occurs worldwide, the subject is not as expected or well-known in America.
There is almost nothing left of the belief in witchcraft in today’s society, especially in developed countries like America. However, in Africa and many other foreign countries, witchcraft has not only not lost its relevance but has become stronger than even during the Salem witch trials in America. In this regard, I believe it is inappropriate to describe Young Goodman Brown as a classic American story.
On the other hand, if we consider and deeply analyze what is happening in the story, the reason why the influential people of the community met in the forest reflects American reality to a sufficient extent. Power, for the sake of which the brightest people, followed by society, make deals with the devil, who gives them more control and helps them commit evil. The US is known for its desire for power, even if that means backing off, as it used to be and still is.
To summarize, describing The Young Goodman Brown as classic American literature is inappropriate. The theme of witchcraft, not well known in the American tradition but well described in the story, makes it clear that the main origins are taken in other countries. The theme of witchcraft and religion in other parts of the world is much more prevalent than ever in America.
Work Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Young Goodman Brown.” Columbia University, 1835. Web.