Elements Of Romanticism In Young Goodman Brown

Romanticism describes an 18th century genre of writing. Hawthorne embodies the Romantic writer through his interest in the supernatural. Nathaniel Hawthorne's “Young Goodman Brown” depicts Romantic characteristics of writing through the topics of distrust of civilization, emphasis on the individual, and concern for hidden truth.
Hawthorne emphasizes Romantic characteristics through Brown’s distrust of the surrounding civilization. Brown escapes civilization by fleeing into the woods. After Brown escapes the town, he has an epiphany that “people are evil by nature ” (“Young Goodman Brown” 298). This detail adds to Hawthorne’s idea that civilization corrupts the individual. In explanation, while talking to the Devil, Brown understands that all
In addition, Brown’s journey into the woods serves an escape from the burden of reality. Critics discuss that “Hawthorne recognizes that our waking life and the life of dreams are bound up together -- that life is like a dream in its revelation of terrifying truths” (Levy 116). In summary, Brown’s quest never actually happens. The entire experience imitates a dream sequence. Since dreams mimic reality, Brown’s nightmare reveals the underlying issues about the corruption of civilization. At the gathering, Brown witnesses all of the Godly people in his town worshipping the Devil. Therefore, Hawthorne illustrates the citizens as similar to the two-faced Janus. The realistic dream portrays Brown’s distrust of his city. Ultimately, by escaping from reality, Goodman Brown realizes the deceitful truth. Finally, Hawthorne uses suspense to show the wickedness of Fiend worshippers. Hawthorne states “evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness” (8). Faith and Brown huddle in a corner while
For example, Brown engages in a quest for a higher truth by entering the home of the Devil: the woods. While in the Devil’s home, Brown never technically realizes that “this truth beneath the appearances is not the same as a revelation of outright immoral activity [both Brown and the townspeople do] not actually commit any heinous acts” (Neary 20). Brown assimilates information in the woods, yet he never realizes that both the townspeople and him fail to actually do any immoral acts. The townspeople do worship Satan, but do they murder people? Do they commit adultery? Do they steal? For the most part, the townspeople continue to follow the ten commandments. In fact, while they fail to tell the whole truth, the Satan worshippers never technically lie. This adds to the fact that Hawthorne wants to communicate about the ever-growing gray in society. In addition, Romantics tend to set spiritual journeys in nature. Brown acknowledges that his “journey . . . needs [to] be done ‘twixt now and sunrise” (Hawthorne 1). Thus, young Goodman Brown must journey into the woods in order to decipher the true intentions of his peers. Brown travels with the Devil and learns his father and grandfather lied about being Godly men. Brown’s whole life has been a lie created by Devil supporters. Instead of experiencing a spiritual journey where he finds God, Brown experiences a spiritual journey where he finds the Fiend. Finally,