In his short story, “Young Goodman Brown,” Nathaniel Hawthorne presents an idea of the Puritan mindset that starkly contrasts with the works of Puritans like Mary Rowlandson and William Bradford: that Puritans are all keeping dark and disturbing secrets that go against their religious beliefs. In the accounts of Rowlandson and Bradford, we see a much different account of the Puritan mindset. The transgressions committed in “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” and “Of Plymouth Plantation” are much less intense than those committed in “Young Goodman Brown.” Puritan hypocrisy is also subtly presented as proof that sometimes the most pious people go against their own religions. And, while Rowlandson and Bradford
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In “Young Goodman Brown,” Brown spends a majority of the story passing judgement on his fellow townspeople after realizing the secrets that they have been keeping. However, he never really stops for self-reflection. Even at his secret meeting, he says, “We are a people of prayer, and good works, to boot, and abide no such wickedness” (Hawthorne 388). It is highly hypocritical to say that he and his fellow citizens are good people when he himself is presently participating in an act of wickedness. Mary Rowlandson also exhibits some level of hypocrisy in her captivity narrative. At the end of her story, she says, “That we must rely on God Himself, and our whole dependance must be upon Him” (Rowlandson 288). She presents this as if a person must sit around and wait for God to intervene on their behalf, but several times in her narrative, Rowlandson proves to be self-reliant. She looks for her own food (Rowlandson 269) and sneaks away to find some level of liberty from the Indians (Rowlandson 274). Although she would not appreciate Hawthorne’s depiction of the Puritans, when she performs actions such as these, she proves his idea that even the most devout people sometimes go against their …show more content…
Although they have been met with hardships and many dangerous challenges, the Puritans at the end of Book One in “Of Plymouth Plantation” still “gave God thanks for His mercies” (Bradford 138). Rowlandson also maintains her Puritan standing, ending her captivity narrative with praises and promises to stay close to God (Rowlandson 288). However, goodman Brown is unable to remain so certain of his beliefs at the end of Hawthorne’s story. After all of the troubling things he has seen, he can no longer trust any of the people in his town. Because of one heinous night, goodman Brown lives the rest of his life distrusting the people of Salem. Even in church, “he could not listen, because an anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear, and drowned all the blessed strain” (Hawthorne 395). All he can think about is how the people of his town are not at all who they appear to be. These thoughts prevent him from being able to be properly religious himself. After seeing the dirty secrets of the other Puritans, Brown cannot sit comfortably in a congregation with them let alone live peacefully in a town with them all the way up to his own death (Hawthorne 395). As evidenced by their
In “Young Goodman Brown,” Brown spends a majority of the story passing judgement on his fellow townspeople after realizing the secrets that they have been keeping. However, he never really stops for self-reflection. Even at his secret meeting, he says, “We are a people of prayer, and good works, to boot, and abide no such wickedness” (Hawthorne 388). It is highly hypocritical to say that he and his fellow citizens are good people when he himself is presently participating in an act of wickedness. Mary Rowlandson also exhibits some level of hypocrisy in her captivity narrative. At the end of her story, she says, “That we must rely on God Himself, and our whole dependance must be upon Him” (Rowlandson 288). She presents this as if a person must sit around and wait for God to intervene on their behalf, but several times in her narrative, Rowlandson proves to be self-reliant. She looks for her own food (Rowlandson 269) and sneaks away to find some level of liberty from the Indians (Rowlandson 274). Although she would not appreciate Hawthorne’s depiction of the Puritans, when she performs actions such as these, she proves his idea that even the most devout people sometimes go against their …show more content…
Although they have been met with hardships and many dangerous challenges, the Puritans at the end of Book One in “Of Plymouth Plantation” still “gave God thanks for His mercies” (Bradford 138). Rowlandson also maintains her Puritan standing, ending her captivity narrative with praises and promises to stay close to God (Rowlandson 288). However, goodman Brown is unable to remain so certain of his beliefs at the end of Hawthorne’s story. After all of the troubling things he has seen, he can no longer trust any of the people in his town. Because of one heinous night, goodman Brown lives the rest of his life distrusting the people of Salem. Even in church, “he could not listen, because an anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear, and drowned all the blessed strain” (Hawthorne 395). All he can think about is how the people of his town are not at all who they appear to be. These thoughts prevent him from being able to be properly religious himself. After seeing the dirty secrets of the other Puritans, Brown cannot sit comfortably in a congregation with them let alone live peacefully in a town with them all the way up to his own death (Hawthorne 395). As evidenced by their