26 pages • 52 minutes read
Nathaniel HawthorneA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Hawthorne’s story is an allegory—a story that reveals hidden meaning and morals—about religious hypocrisy in Puritan New England at the time of the Salem Witch Trials. It is a cautionary tale that explores the dark side of human behavior and sin. The most sinful individuals are those who follow the devil, and they continually lure those who are good, in this case the Puritans who are tasked with maintaining a sin-free society. Hawthorne illustrates that despite following Puritan teachings, even the most faithful individuals are lured to evil, and if they resist, evil will come to them. Though the Puritans seek to dispel individuals “possessed” by the devil, the story suggests that they are as vulnerable to evil as those who willingly follow it. Alternatively, people who question their faith are destined to live an unfulfilling and miserable life.
Goodman Brown loves his wife Faith and is prepared to “cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven” (1) upon his return. The central conflict, however, is established in the opening paragraphs. Brown wants to remain with Faith, but he is compelled to enter the wilderness on a secret errand that tests his faith in religion and in his community.
By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Dr. Heidegger's Experiment (Tale Blazers)
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Ethan Brand
Nathaniel Hawthorne
My Kinsman Major Molineux
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Rappaccini's Daughter
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Ambitious Guest
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Artist of the Beautiful
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Birthmark
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Blithedale Romance
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Hollow of the Three Hills
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The House of the Seven Gables
Robert S. Levine, Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Marble Faun
Susan Manning, Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Maypole Of Merry Mount
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Minister's Black Veil
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Thomas E. Connolly, Nina Baym
The Wives of the Dead
Nathaniel Hawthorne