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  • Essay / The Dangers of Puritan Extremism in Young Goodman Brown

    “Because sometimes people who seem good end up not being as good as one might have hoped. » (Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close). Humans want to believe that our world is perfect, but in doing so we risk blinding ourselves to the unpleasant realities of life. In the short story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a Puritan must battle his inner demons in order to learn more about himself. One night, he walks in the woods and encounters a devil worship ceremony in which he sees his entire Puritan community participating. This event forces Goodman Brown to confront the devil and test his faith. However, when he wakes up the next morning, he doesn't know if he was dreaming or if his entire town is possessed by the devil. In the story, Hawthorne examines the dangers of Puritan extremism through the symbol of the devil meeting, Goodman Brown's perceptions of good and evil, and the setting of Salem. It ultimately shows that there are flaws even within the idyllic “city on a hill.” The author of the story uses the symbolism of the devil to evoke interesting parallels with Puritan extremism. These antipodes but parallel ceremonies lift the veil on Salem society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay As Goodman Brown approaches the Satanic service, he hears the devil preaching “welcome to the fellowship of your race!” (Hawthorn 6). This compares to the Puritan ecclesial communion, which is the cleansing of one's sins. In the Devil's Sermon, he cleanses the good Puritans of Salem of God and faith. Additionally, Hawthorne uses this symbol to criticize both groups for feeling that a person can only be good or bad; saved or damned. Showing how both systems are not perfect and must accept their flaws. Goodman Brown faces internal conflicts as he struggles through dilemmas between good and evil as well as between dream and reality, which ultimately leads him to discover more about himself. As Goodman Brown walks through the woods with the strange, sinister old man, they encounter Goodman Brown's former teacher, Goody Cloyse. Goodman Brown is surprised that his mentor has a friendly relationship with the devil and becomes even more horrified when she admits that she is a witch. He can't believe that "this old woman taught me my catechism!" (3). In this passage, Hawthorne shows how Goodman Brown's perception changes and shows that he is becoming more and more confused about what is right and what is wrong. He begins to lose faith in the world and doesn't understand how a woman he thought he knew could change. It also gives insight into Goodman Brown and whether he can turn into a devil worshiper like his teacher or stay true to his faith. As Goodman Brown walks through the village after his night in the woods, he wonders if he "fell asleep in the forest and only had a wild dream of a witches' meeting..." (7 ). Goodman Brown begins to doubt himself and whether he hallucinated the meeting or if, in fact, it was real. Since Goodman Brown has no proof that the session took place, he must accept the realization that his mind could have fabricated the entire incident. He realizes that there is evil living within him, but he also understands that everyone has an inner devil that they struggle with within them and he must accept this contradiction in order to become a better person. The setting of this short story is not what one would expect of an idyllic Puritan town that perpetuates the false facade of.