Question

Describe the ending of the story. On what basis does the narrator say of Brown, "his dying hour was his gloom"? What was Hawthorne's purpose in writing "Young Goodman Brown"? How might this story reflect Hawthorne's views on Puritanism or religion in general?

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

1. The ending of "Young Goodman Brown" depicts the despair and melancholy that occurs when a Christian loses his faith and all his certainties are erased from his heart. Thus, he can no longer find peace in the society he sees as corrupted, in family members, in religion and in any other element around him.

2. When the author uses the expression "his dying hour was his gloom" he uses the melancholy, cynicism and extreme mistrust that Goodman presented before his death as a basis, which indicated to society that he was not one of the elected of God and died with that feeling of sadness that accompanied him to death and that he should not be part of an elected Christian.

3. The author's purpose was to show the ambiguity of Puritanism and Transcendentalism in New England, questioning the position of Puritans in situations where they are very controversial, situations that include sin, shame, judgment and murders.

4. In their stories Hawthorne shows how religions are created to bring us closer to God, but members of religions establish doctrines and dogmas that are controversial and put people's faith to the test, especially in relation to religion. In "Young Goodman Brown" he questions the sanctity of Puritan Christians amid the murders of people who were considered witches. This questioning is related to doubts about human goodness and salvation.