美国文学期末作业---好人布朗

YoungGoodmanBrownisoneofthebestshortfictionswrittenbyNathanielHawthornein1835.IttellsusastorythatYoungGoodmanBrown,areligiouselement,lefthiswifeFaithandventureddeepintotheforesttoattendtheassemblyofevilinordertosatisfyhiscuriosity.However,asaneyewitnessofthecongregation,bothsinnersandsaintsandincludinghisfaithfulwifeFaithhadconvertedthedevil,youngGoodmanBrownbrokedownandbecameazombie.OwingtotheclosenessofshortstoriesandthefeaturesofHawthorne’snovels(symbolismandindirectness),onlywhenwedodeepanalysisonit,thewholeworldofthestorycanbestretchedout.AndthispaperanalysestheinnermeaningofsomewordsandphrasesofYoungGoodmanBrownfromthreeaspects:Firstly,what’stheinnermeaningofsomewordsinthisstory.Secondly,whyHawthornewrotethisstory,whichincludingthesatireatpolitics,society,racialdiscriminationandtheintrospectiononSalemWitchTrials.Thirdly,howtoseethegoodandevil.What’stheinnermeaningofsomewordsinYoungGoodmanBrown?Salem:①Hawthorne’shometown.②ItwaswheretheSalemWitchTrialsof1692happened.③Itmeansacityofpeace.④ItisthelatterpartofJerusalem,whichshowsthestrongbeliefinChristianismofearlycolonistYoung:①GoodmanBrownwasinayoungage.②HejustestablishedhisfaithofGodandjustmarriedwithFaith.③Hehasthecuriositytolearnabouttheworld.Goodman:①Goodman,good-heartedperson.②Itisagivenname,whichwasgivenbyfamiliesratherthanbornwith.③Irony.Brownisnotactuallyagoodmanforhecheatedonhiswife(myjourneyisforthandbackagain),himself(felthimselfjustifiedinmakingmorehasteonhispresentevilpurpose),thedevil(theyneverspokethesesmatters)andalsoGoodyCloyse(cutthroughthewoodsuntilleftherbehind).Brown:①acommonlastname.②averageperson,everyman,everyman.③brownisacolorthatgeneratedbymixingblack,redandwhite.ItalsoreflectsthatBrownisnottotallyasinnernorasaint.④Brownisalastnamepasseddownfromgenerationtogenerationwhichcannotbechangedanditalsoreflectsthateveryonehastheoriginalsin.⑤Somethingtiressomebody.ItindicatesthedeathofBrown.Faith:①StrongreligiousbeliefinGod②Loyaltolove.③Purityofhumannature.④Goodman’swifeandalsoapartofGoodman’sbelief.Pinkribbons:①Faithwearingapinkribbonsshowsthatshewasayoungthree-monthnewlybride②Pinkisredandwhite,soit’snotpure,whichreflectsthatFaithwasnotfaithfulactuallyandsheisanangelwithsin.Sunrise/night:Naturecycleofdayandnightreflectsthechangesofhumanbeing.sunrise-sunset,day-night,good–evil,converts-apostates.Forest:①Thetreesblockoutthesun,makingpeopledepressedandafraid.②Forestrepresentfreedomandgrowthofyouth.③ThedifferentviewsthatthePuritanismandthetranscendentalismtowardsnature.Fellow-traveler:①ThedevilwhopersuadedBrowntogiveuphisbelief.②ItwasBrown’sidaccordingtoFreud’stheoryaboutid,egoandsuperego.PrimitivedesiresandinstinctsofBrownwasmaterializedintothiscertainimage.Thestaffwhichlookslikeaserpent:①devilintheshapeofstaff/serpent②ItisastaffcandisplaythemiraculoussignsandcasingdisasterjustlikeMose’sone..WhyHawthornewrotethisstory?Withtherapiddevelopmentofscienceandtechnologyandvariouskindofrightsmovement,somepoliticalandmoralproblemsofcapitalismandpuriusedtobehiddenhascometolightanditalsoforcedustore-examinetheworldandourselves.Satireatpolitical:Devilsaidthattheselectmen,themajorityofGreatandGeneralcourt,boardoftheprovinceandthegovernorsworkforhisinterestsinthenovel.Itmeansthatwhenpoliticianworkfortheirowninterestsratherthanthepublicinterests,theyarethedevils.Satireatsocial:sonsmurdertheirfathersforheritage,wiveskilltheirhusbandinordertomarrylover,mothersburiedtheotherman’schildandtheclergiesmolestedtheirhouseholds.Peopledobaldlyeverythingastheywantdespiteoflawsandmoraltomeetalltheirprivatedemand.Satireatdiscrimination:ItisapparentlythatGoodmanBrownweregreatlyinfluencedbyhisfather.Goodman’sfathersetfiretoanIndianvillageinKingPhilips’sWarandhissonlookeddownupontheIndians(devilishIndians/Indianpowwow).BritishsailedacrosstheAtlanticandlandedatNewEnglandinthemiddleof17centuryandfinallysettleddownwiththehelpwiththeoriginalinhabitants---theIndians.However,thedevelopmentofcolonistsinfringedtheIndians’interestsandleadedtothebattleforterritory.Thepeoplewhomthecolonistsshouldshowtheirgratitudetoweremassacredandthosereturnedevilforgoodhasn’tbepunished.TheintrospectiononSalemWitchTrials:SomedetailsofthenovelimprovesthatitisalsoanintrospectionofSalemWitchTrials.Thetwowizardswithbroomstickinthenovel,GoodyClyceandGoodyCorey,werenamedafterthetwopoorhangedvillagersSaraClyceandGilesCorey.TheSalemWitchTrialsbeganwiththeunexplaineddiseaseoflocalminister’schildrenin1692andendedin1693,duringtheyearmorethantwohundredinnocentvillagersweresenttojailandmorethan20ofthemweresentencedtohang.ThekindanddiligentearlyPuritanswhoimmigranttoNewEnglandinordertoescapingfromthesuppressionofheresyinEnglandthenalsobecamethedevilwhobelievingintherigidPuritanismandkillingthe“heresy”withanappearanceofangelbecauseofthedoublecharacterscomesfromthedestructionofhumannature.Hawthorne’sancestor,WilliamHathorne,onceusingcorporalpunishmentonheretictoforcedhertogiveuporiginalbelief(Goodman’grandfatherlashedaQuakerwoman)andJohnHathornewasoneofthejudgeswhosentencedmorethantwentyinnocentpeopletohangduring