Religion & Historical Background of Young Goodman Brown Essay

There are times when religion and innocence are questioned. Some people may argue that heritage spate be a deciding factor in how religion can play a major use in how we view one another. The story Young Goodman browned was the outcome of Hawthornes experience through his young adulthood, which was heavily impacted by the historical minimize of his family.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, to a family of prude colonists. Hawthornes paternal distant grand puzzle, John Hathorne, whom was a judge in the Salem hex Trials, troubled Nathaniel so much, that he added the W to his last bring out to separate himself from the family. 1 Some readers could argue after reading this story, knowing the history of the Salem Witch Trials, and knowing things about Nathaniel Hawthorne, he showed the hypocrisy of the Puritan faith through the events that happened throughout the story.One event of how Hawthornes heritage, specifically the background of the judge, played a role in the story through events that occurred, was at the beginning of the story when brown, the main character, met with the traveler, also known as the devil, and discovered that the devil had possibly been consort with his family. 2 Brown stated in the story that he was surprised that his family had never spoken of this, because if narrative had made its way to the town that the family was affiliated with the devil, they would have cast them from New England, just as the individuals in the Salem Witch Trials were hanged, because they were believed to be affiliated with the devil, and using the Devils Magic.Hawthorne utilize his experience with the Puritan background in the story, with the description of the woodland as being a dark place, portraying that the woods is where the devil resided, and that the woods is where evil deeds took place.3 Hawthorne also used the sounds of the creaking of trees, the howling of wild beasts, and the call out of Indians that Brown heard, as another way to show that evil resided in the woods.The Puritans belief was that the devil was creditworthy for every evil deed that took place, whether it was through witchcraft, or through rites estimation to be satanic.5 An example of this was the ritual that the devil performed towards the end of the story to try and convert Brown and his wife from the Puritan belief.6 Another example of how Hawthornes heritage and the Puritan belief wereportrayed in the story, was shown when Brown was describing his opinion of Goody Cloyse, and of his father.He stated in the story that he was surprised that Goody was in the woods, especially at night. Brown made the statement, A marvel, truly that Goody Cloyse should be so far in the wilderness at nightfall. Brown had also made a comment earlier in the story about his father being honest and a good Christian by stating, My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him. We have been a race of honest men and go od Christians since the days of the martyrs.Brown thought highly of both of his father and fellow acquaintance, Goody, and believed they were both strong in their faith. Whether or not all the events that took place throughout the story were a dream or reality for Brown, Hawthorne used the devils ritual to reveal that even the good Puritan townspeople that Brown thought were superior than he, are apt to commit sin. Hawthorne also showed that religion can play a role in how we view one another.Works Cited(1) Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown. New England New England Magazine, 1835. Pgs. 1131-1141 in Making books Matter (2) Blumberg, Jess. A Brief History of The Salem Witch Trials. Smithsonian.com http//www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/brief-salem.html, 2007. (3) White, Ellen Brooks. Nathaniel Hawthornes Salem. Miscellany Life and writings http//allthingsliterary.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/nathaniel-hawthornes-salem/, 2012-2013.