“Young Goodman Brown,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, i believe is about how Goodman Brown not only lost his innocence, but also his view of things changed. The story starts off with Goodman Brown saying goodbye to his wife, faith. According to paragraph 3, they’ve only been married for 3 months. “What, my sweet , pretty wife, dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married.” Faith has a bad feeling about the trip and asks for her husband to stay. Goodman Brown replied with, “Say thy prayers, dear faith, and go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee.” Based on the first few paragraphs, you can see how much both goodman brown, and faith care about each other. After saying goodbye to faith, brown headed for the forest in which he met an old man with a staff. The man claims to know brown’s grandfather and father as well. Turns out the man goodman brown met was the devil himself, at least that’s what the woman referred him to in paragraph 30. “The devil! screamed the pious old lady.” Fast forward through the passage, goodman brown ends up in a evil ceremony in which people he knows, including his wife faith, the minister, and deacon were also apart of. After seeing not only his wife but people he knew giving in to evil, brown himself lost his innocence. The next day is as nothing ever happened. Goodman Brown questions whether all this really happened, or if all this was just a dream. I myself question this as well.
Monthly Archives: February 2015
Scruples
Scruples (Verb)
Scruple — A feeling that stops you from doing something you think is wrong.
Source; Merriam – Webster’s Dictionary
• This word was found in paragraph 15 on page 2.
• Date of class discussion: Feb 11th 2015.
• Title of Handout: Young Goodman Brown.
Passage: “friend,” said the other, exchanging his slow pace for a full stop, “having kept covenant by meeting thee here, it is my purpose now to return whence I came. I have scruples, touching the matter thou wot’st of.”
When reading the story Young Goodman Brown I stumbled across a word that caused some confusion in my understanding of this passage (15). The passage took place in the woods with Goodman Brown and Goody Cory making their way to their destination through a dense woodsy area. While walking through the woods it was said that Goodman had scruples. “..It is my purpose now to return whence I came. I have scruples, touching the matter thou wot’st of.” This gave no meaning to the paragraph due to my lack of knowledge of the nature of its meaning. Upon further research it was found that “scruples” is said to be the feeling you have when something simply does not seem right. This shined light upon the story by giving me the understanding that Goodman Brown was being forced to go along on the trip with Goody Cory. Another term is that he was being peer pressured into acting in a way he would genuinely prefer not to. This also shows readers from the initial portion of the story that what was awaiting them at the end of the story might be more than what they all have anticipated.
Melancholy
Melancholy (noun): a sad mood or feeling (Merriam-Webster)
Found on Page 1, paragraph 6 of “Young Goodman Brown”–> “So they parted; and the young man pursued his way, until, being about to turn the corner by the meeting-house, he looked back and saw the head of Faith still peeping after him, with a melancholy air, in spite of her pink ribbons.”
I believe this word in the quote means that when Mr. Brown looked back to see his wife still watching him, he could see that her countenance was sad. Although Faith was wearing pink flowers, which symbolize life, growth, and happiness, her mood was depressing because Mr. Brown had left to go on his long journey.
Tarry
Tarry (intransitive verb): 1 a: to delay or be tardy in acting or doing b: to linger in expectation : wait
2: to abide or stay in or at a place (Merriam-Webster)
Found on Page 1, paragraph 2 of “Young Goodman Brown”–>“Dearest heart,” whispered she, softly and rather sadly, when her lips were close to his ear, “pr’ythee, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed to-night. A lone woman is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts, that she’s afeard of herself, sometimes. Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nights in the year!”
I believe this word in the quote means that Mr. Brown’s wife, Faith, did not want her husband to go out on his journey but to stay with her and spend time with her. Mr. Brown’s journey was going to be far, so Faith was wooing her husband to stay since she did not want to be left all alone.
Young Goodman Brown
I think the story is written mostly in third person omniscient because it seems to have a voice and description for many characters thoughts and reactions throughout the story. At first thought that this story was third person limited because it mainly showcased the thoughts and feelings of Goodman. “With excellent resolve for the future, Goodman Brown felt himself justified in making more haste on his present evil purpose.
The reason I was torn between omniscient and limited is because throughout the text you are able to get a visual of many of the characters and descriptions of their behavior. “They turned; and flashing forth, as it were, in a sheet of flame, the fiend worshippers were seen, the smile of welcome gleamed early on every visage”.
I felt that this style of writing , and most especially the style and language it was written in gave it a very eerie feel. More so than both “A Jury of Her Peers” and “A Rose for Emily” which were told in third person as well. Within the story of “Young Goodman Brown”, it seems to touch on every character. It seemed easier to gage the intentions and feelings of all those surrounding the main character and opposed to “A Rose for Emily” in which the focus is mainly centered on her. The story talks of her characteristics, habits, attitude and behavior. With “Young Goodman Brown”, one is able to get a sense of each character, and with that, the reader becomes interested in the background of the story as well.
Scruples
Scruples (noun) : an ethical consideration or principle that inhibits action
Source: Merriam Webster
(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scruple)
Found in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne paragraph 15
“Friend,” said the other, exchanging his slow pace for a full stop, “having kept convenant by meeting thee here, it is my purpose not to return whence I came. I have scruples, touching the matter thou wot’st of.”
Young Goodman Brown has a journey with his companion at night, even though his wife Faith doesn’t want him to travel “this night, … of all nights in the year!” (paragraph 2) However he already meets up with his fellow-traveller and tells him that he is hesitating because he thinks this journey is not morally right.
Verily
Verily – certainly or truly.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verily
Used in “Young Goodman Brown”, third page, fourth paragraph [19]. Used as a verb to describe a certainty of how Goodman’s family never would have been into any evil practices.
Or, verily, I marvel not seeing that the least rumor of the sort would have driven them from New England.
Goodman was describing how his family would have been shocked, and ashamed at the mere rumor that their family would have been involved in any sort of wickedness.
Boughs
Boughs – a branch of a tree, especially one of the larger or main branches.
Found in Young Goodman Brown By Nathaniel Hawthorne paragraph 42
“On came the hoof-tramps and the voices of the riders, two grave old voices, conversing soberly as they drew near. These mingled sounds appeared to pass along the road, within a few yards of the young man’s hiding-place; but owing, doubtless, to the depth of the gloom, at that particular spot, neither the travellers nor their steeds were visible. Though their figures brushed the small boughs by the way-side, it could not be seen that they intercepted, even for a moment, the faint gleam from the strip of bright sky, athwart which they must have passed. Goodman Brown alternately crouched and stood on tip-toe, pulling aside the branches, and thrusting forth his head as far as he durst, without discerning so much as a shadow. It vexed him the more, because he could have sworn, were such a thing possible, that he recognized the voices of the minister and Deacon Gookin, jogging along quietly, as they were wont to do, when bound to some ordination or ecclesiastical council. While yet within hearing, one of the riders stopped to pluck a switch.”
TUMULTUOUSLY
Tumultously (The Story of an Hour/Paragraph 10/Sentence 1)
adjective
Pronunciation: too- mul – choo -ous
-The act of making a loud, confused noise.
-To raise a great clatter and commotion.
Context: “Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously.”
Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tumultuous
Gallantry
Gallantry noun \ˈga-lən-trē\
a : an act of marked courtesy
b : courteous attention to a lady
“And yet,” said he, with the gallantry of a young politician. “for all their worries, what would we do without the ladies?”
A Jury of Her Peers page 265
Initially I was thinking of gallant where it it means brave. This made no sense to me “…a gallantry of a young politician…” Young politicians are rather foolish as opposed to brave. The other definition of gallantry made much more sense in this case.
