Nathaniel Hawthorne Honors Dante In

& # 8216 ; Young Goodman Brown & # 8217 ; Essay, Research Paper

Nathaniel Hawthorne awards Dante in & # 8216 ; Young Goodman Brown & # 8217 ;

By William John Meegan

Nathaniel Hawthorne ( 1804-1864 ) wrote Young Goodman Brown in 1835 some 514 old ages after Dante Alighieri passing in 1321. It is a short narrative of merely 10 pages of prose ; yet, it captures the kernel of the first three poetries of La Divina Commedia. In fact I can state that his small narrative throw great visible radiation on the reading of these poetries. Over the past seven centuries many great bookmans have honed their endowments to the text of La Divina Commedia but none seem so original as that of Nathaniel Hawthorne & # 8217 ; s. This does non contradict those old or subsequent observer & # 8217 ; s penetrations for Dante work has many beds of reading. See Mark Musa interlingual rendition below:

& # 8220 ; Midway along the journey of our life

I woke to happen myself in a dark wood,

for I had wandered off from the consecutive way.

Hawthorne & # 8217 ; s work came to me serendipitously. I really had no thought that he was in anyhow associated with Dante & # 8217 ; s work. It is said that & # 8216 ; Hawthorne & # 8217 ; s neighbour and friend Herman Melville one time said, & # 8217 ; & # 8220 ; Young Goodman Brown is a narrative every bit deep as Dante & # 8221 ; . It is besides known that Hawthorne was a friend of Henry Wadworth Longfellow one of the laminitiss and the first president of the Dante Society of America. Longerfeller would go president of the freshly formed society some 17 old ages after his friend & # 8217 ; s decease. I wonder if there was an earlier coaction. I mentioned this, in passing, simply to indicate out that there must hold been a deeper followers of Dante & # 8217 ; s works in America, so the first roll of the society & # 8217 ; s rank would bespeak, during the nineteenth century. I did happen it interesting that Rev. Henry Francis Cary & # 8217 ; s interlingual rendition in 1814 uses the word & # 8220 ; gloomy & # 8221 ; in the 2nd poetry of La Divina Commedia: & # 8220 ; I woke to happen myself in a glooming wood. & # 8221 ; Hawthorne & # 8217 ; s last sentence in this short narrative is, & # 8220 ; for his deceasing hr was gloom. & # 8221 ; Many of La Divina Commedia & # 8217 ; s interlingual renditions up to the center of the twentieth century uses the words & # 8220 ; glooming wood & # 8221 ; instead than & # 8220 ; dark wood & # 8221 ; so popular in the latter half of this century.

The narrative of Young Goodman Brown does non advert Dante & # 8217 ; s name, or reference La Divina Commedia, though it becomes obvious this little work is a testimonial and acknowledgment of Dante & # 8217 ; s mastermind.

The narrative starts out idealistically on a Saturday forenoon when Young Goodman Brown go forthing his house looks back and gives his married woman, Faith, a buss. He is on his manner to a prearranged meeting and would non kip in his bed that dark. His married woman employs him to loiter till forenoon but he insists that he must & # 8216 ; loiter off from her & # 8217 ; . He teases her a spot, & # 8220 ; What, my Sweet, reasonably married woman, dost 1000 doubt me already, and we but three months married. & # 8221 ; He sees the concern on her face as melancholy. It is obvious she senses something awry.

Hawthorne has steeped his narrative in fable and symbols. I chose Saturday as the going day of the month because the following twenty-four hours is Sunday when at the terminal of the narrative he staggers back into town and sees the sermonizer fixing for services. As the narrative unfolds it becomes obvious that it is fate that has set up this meeting for him.

Sing the historical period of Hawthorne & # 8217 ; s narrative, which was the early nineteenth century, when immature work forces were apprenticed out to work until they met their duty there was no clip for a dark out on the town. A immature adult male in such an apprentice place could non afford it. He would hold had to watch his repute and his station in life. He was expected to travel to bed at twilight and originate early in the forenoon before dawn. Men usually did non marry until they could afford to. Young misss were chaperoned and their parents and defenders were careful to look into the reputes of the work forces they choose to marry. Therefore, 25 old ages of age was non considered early or late in life for a adult male to acquire married.

Saturday as the twenty-four hours for the scene of this narrative is the terminal of the workweek for most Christians of that epoch. It is besides the twenty-four hours one would take a bath non as it is today where bathing is a day-to-day rite. Dressed up in clean garb a immature adult male, being his ain maestro, is ready to & # 8216 ; paint the town ruddy & # 8217 ; as the expression goes.

It is surprising that he does non take the first-class advice that he gives to his married woman, & # 8220 ; Say thy supplications, beloved Faith, and travel to bed at twilight, and no injury will come to thee. & # 8221 ; It is interesting that this is the same theoretical account advice written in most farmer’s calendar of that period. Here he himself has the keys to salvation but consciously does non utilize them.

As Goodman Brown embarks upon his journey he knows that it is an evil mission he has embarked upon. This is in blunt contrast to Dante happening himself in a dark wood. Dante knew non how he arrived in the forests. Bing a neophyte in the ways of the universe Goodman Brown inquiries, practically on the beginning of his journey, what is behind the legion trees of the wood he has entered. A new traveller through such a dark wood would non, of class, know these things. This is reminiscence of the Bushman of Africa who knows exactly what is behind every bowlder, tree, and shrub in his wood in contrast to the White Hunter that comes into his universe scared out of his humor and would non take a measure without the Bushman & # 8217 ; s counsel. Young Goodman Brown even reflects, & # 8220 ; what if the Satan himself should be at my really elbow! & # 8221 ; Catholic kids are taught there is a Satan on one shoulder and an angel on another to steer them through life. They better choose good. This stage hints at that spiritual thought every bit good as the narrative as a whole being Faith, his married woman, was his angel.

The rubric of the narrative is prefaced with the word & # 8220 ; Young & # 8221 ; as opposed to an & # 8220 ; Elderly & # 8221 ; version of Goodman Brown? As the history unravel this would look to be the instance. Almost instantly after the comment about the & # 8220 ; devil & # 8221 ; he see his friend waiting for him. His friend instantly takes place at his side ( elbow? ) as they walk off together he is instantly chided for being 15 proceedingss tardily. Goodman Brown plaints, & # 8220 ; Faith kept me back awhile. & # 8221 ; This acquaintance with his married woman & # 8217 ; s name to a alien would be inappropriate on any juncture no less so on this 1. This more than intimations at a longer relationship between the two work forces. But when did he even have the clip to do the assignment being with his married woman for three solid months? He lives in Salem Village and the meeting is in Boston.

It is unusual that the 15 proceedingss would be mentioned at all as was mentioned the three months that Goodman Brown had been married. If we were talking coincidently 15 proceedingss is one one-fourth of an hr as is three months one one-fourth of a twelvemonth. Are we being asked to compare these two numerical oddnesss? Curiously how Nathaniel Hawthorne would weave these symbols so good into the history. A matrimony is the beginning of two people brotherhood as one. The day of the month of the nuptials is as the beginning of the first twelvemonth of the brotherhood. If the matrimony was to least 50 old ages, dissolved by one spouse deceasing, halfway would be 25 old ages: & # 8220 ; Midway this journey of our life. & # 8221 ; For illustration: equation this to the calendar twelvemonth January 1st would be the nuptials day of the month. Three months subsequently would be April 1st. This is the traditional day of the month for the morning of creative activity for both the Christ and the Antichrist. Jesus was conceived on this day of the month and was born nine months subsequently, December 25th. Jesus being circumcised eight yearss subsequently would be Goodman Brown & # 8217 ; s anniversary day of the month. The symbolism in this allegorical narrative is unbelievable when comparing the span of a twelvemonth to the life of an person. This allegorical narrative suggests the two roads taken. Faith, Goodman Brown & # 8217 ; s married woman, represent the religious or way of visible radiation and Goodman Brown represents the diabolic or dark way. On April 1st it would look they consummated the jubilation of creative activity entirely.

When ciphering this hebdomadal rite, of go forthing the good married woman place and taking off on one & # 8217 ; s journey into the Boston dark life, over the 24.75 twelvemonth span would come to precisely 1290.5 darks off from place. This, one dark a hebdomad ritual, is non an uncommon activity for most work forces, even in our ain epoch, so Goodman Brown becomes the archetypical symbol for all his male opposite numbers past, nowadays, and future Notice how the 1290.5 darks coincides with Dante & # 8217 ; s Beatrice deceasing in June 1290 AD. Notice how Goodman Brown points out that he lost Faith. Here Hawthorne infers that Goodman Brown lost Faith on that first fatal dark off from place non halfway through their matrimony. He may good hold come to footings with it midway through his life with her but his dependence began on that first dark and it would construct to a crescendo where it was non possible for him to set a halt to it. He had realized he lost her on the first dark.

If we are to compare

the two one one-fourth spans of clip as the same symbol Goodman Brown would ne’er be tardily once more. He was made to keen non maintaining his assignment because of his honeymoon period, with his married woman Faith, but that clip is over with and will ne’er be an alibi once more.

If Goodman Brown were 25 old ages of age when he married so 25 old ages subsequently he would be 50 old ages of age. The gentleman he met in the wood was 50 old ages of age. It is eventually Hawthorne description of this person that convincingly demonstrates it is the aged Goodman Brown. It besides points to Goodman Brown & # 8217 ; s apprenticeship as a immature adult male ( & # 8221 ; in the same rank of life & # 8221 ; , & # 8220 ; was as merely clothed & # 8221 ; , & # 8220 ; and as simple in mode & # 8221 ; ) .

& # 8220 ; As about every bit could be discerned, the 2nd traveller was about 50 old ages old, papparently in the same rank of life as Goodman Brown, and bearing a considerable resemblance to him, though possibly more in look than characteristics. Still, they might hold been taken for male parent and boy. And yet, though the senior individual was as merely clothed as the younger, and every bit simple in mode excessively, he had an indefinable air of one who knew the universe, and would non hold felt abashed at the governor & # 8217 ; s dinner-table, or in King William & # 8217 ; s tribunal, were it possible that his personal businesss should name him there. But the lone thing about him that could be fixed upon as singular, was his staff, which bore the similitude of a great black serpent, so oddly shaped, that it might about be seen to writhe and writhe itself like a life snake. This, of class must hold been an optic misrepresentation, assisted by the unsure light. & # 8221 ;

& # 8220 ; & # 8216 ; Come Goodman Brown! & # 8217 ; cried his fellow-traveler, & # 8216 ; this is a dull gait for the beginning of a journey. Take my staff, if you are so shortly weary. & # 8217 ; & # 8221 ;

There can be no uncertainty that Goodman Brown had met an aged version of himself in the dark wood: & # 8220 ; I woke to happen myself in a dark wood. & # 8221 ; The journey of 25 old ages in retrospect is to happen oneself more confident of his milieus and much more knowing of universe personal businesss and no longer the inexperienced person and naif traveller of water under the bridge yearss. In every sense it is the aged version of himself that is his usher through life. The serpent staff is symbolic of acquired cognition and wisdom. For most people it is the crutch of life or whatever 1s uses to pull strings other people to make their will. So the staff is symbolic to the crutch every human being takes ownership of that aid him and ushers him through life. Not needfully does wisdom hold to be benign. Hawthorne would advert that the staff was a rod the proprietor once lent to the Egyptian Wise Men ( in the yearss of Moses ) . It is non that Goodman Brown lent the rod to the Egyptian Wise Men but that evil lends it to whoever will foster its cause.

Hawthorne seems to be indicating out via contrary psychological science that to depend upon oneself as a usher through life is diabolic. The staff typifying a life-time of experiences which is used to forester assurance. Such a crutch is an icon or false God.

This, run intoing oneself in the dark wood, is non the manner that Dantists observers tend to construe this poetry in La Divina Commedia. Yet, when the reader reflects on Dante & # 8217 ; s poetry and reads further on into the first chapter of La Divina Commedia a younger version of Dante would hold had to hold met an aged version of himself with a far greater apprehension of the ways of the universe than the younger Dante. What Hawthorne seems to be proposing with his allegorical narrative is that unlike Dante who & # 8217 ; s steer led him through the Inferno and Purgatory Goodman Brown & # 8217 ; s usher was the serpent staff which judged all people as being evil and non being what they seem to be on the exterior. This glooming vision of the universe that blinded Goodman Brown to the world of the goodness in people is what doomed him in the terminal. This is the version that Dante does non speak about when person finds himself or herself in a dark wood.

Virgil is of class Dante alter self-importance. In a sense Virgil is the aged Dante immature Dante finds in the dark wood. It is after all the instructions of Virgil that caused Dante to be where he is. Virgil & # 8217 ; s learning were fundamentally heathen and in a sense has made Dante into his ain image and similitude. Just as Virgil ushers Dante through the ceremonial rite of the baptism of fire in the Infernal and Purgatorial kingdoms so to does the aged Goodman Brown steer his younger ego through the Saturday celebrations of the Boston dark life, which Hawthorne allegorically likens it to a meeting of the coven in the wood, where everybody is an equal. The meeting of the coven was to convey about the baptism of Goodman Brown into the secret enigmas of this family of evil frailties:

& # 8220 ; And there they stood, the lone brace, as it seemed, who were yet wavering on the brink of evil, in this dark universe. A basin was hollowed, of course, in the stone. Make it incorporate H2O, reddened by the lurid visible radiation? or was it blood? or, perchance, a liquid fire? Herein did the Shape of Evil dip his manus, and prepared to put the grade of baptism upon their brows, that they might be sharers of the enigmas of wickedness, more witting of the secret guilt of others, both in title and idea, than they could now be of their ain. The hubby cast one expression at his pale married woman, and Faith at him. What polluted wretches would the following glimpse demo them to each other, shivering likewise at what they disclosed and what they saw! & # 8221 ;

Like Dante who awakened in the dark wood so to does Goodman Brown wake up in the dark wood about 25 old ages earlier, yet merely one dark after, his fatal meeting with his mature ego. But this first dark off from his married woman & # 8217 ; s bed he had been baptized into a secret brotherhood of immorality. As he staggers back into town Sunday forenoon his guilt for his deplorable status has to be more than he can bare. He takes comfort in cognizing that these people are non gulling him for they are pious frauds. After all doesn & # 8217 ; t he know their secret workss and ideas? After all did he non see them all at the coven last dark?

& # 8216 ; It is non wise to travel out imbibing in thy ain vicinity less the neighbours learn who and what you truly are. If you are traveling to make mayhem do it in person else & # 8217 ; s backyard. & # 8217 ; Hence Goodman Brown & # 8217 ; s journey to Boston. Apparently Goodman Brown was cognizant of this wise advice. Coming place in the forenoon to a concerned and loving married woman after a dark of barhopping and frolicing with all sorts of frailties one does non desire to see the sweet smiling of his married woman & # 8217 ; s face. After all he is the adult male of the house and who is she to oppugn him? It is her occupation to keep outward visual aspects and to alibi him to the outside universe if he is excessively ill to travel to church or to work. Hawthorne could hold picked no better archetypical scene for picturing the psyche & # 8217 ; s descent into snake pit.

The terminals of Goodman Brown & # 8217 ; s yearss were non as merrily met as Dante & # 8217 ; s were. There is no uncertainty that Goodman Brown would travel straight to the hell that is the residence of his ain devising. There is of class much more implied by Hawthorne & # 8217 ; s work so prudence allows me to travel into. For illustration Goodman Brown may good hold thought that he was the merchandise of an hereditary and evil spirit seeing all of his lineage were barbarous in nature. The full history has Hawthorne proposing that one can sell his psyche, unwittingly, to the Satan by intentionally come ining into a battalion with evil & # 8211 ; believing somehow he could get away the effects of such a contract. In the beginning of the narrative he believed that he could & # 8220 ; after this one dark I & # 8217 ; ll cleaving to Faith & # 8217 ; s skirts and follow her into Eden & # 8221 ; . The minute Goodman Brown set out on his journey with an evil intent in head he non merely lost his spiritual religion but his married woman, Faith. As if these two words were interlocked. & # 8220 ; What thou shalt free in Heaven shalt be loose on Earth, and what 1000 shalt edge in Heaven should be bound on Earth. & # 8221 ; She ne’er looked the same to him from the really first dark he returned from his meeting. That seems to be the most sorrowful portion of the deal with his deriving the wisdom of the universe. As Christ says in the New Testament, & # 8220 ; what have you gain if you gain the whole universe but lost your really soul? & # 8221 ;

The word & # 8220 ; Goodman, & # 8221 ; in the name Goodman Brown, tells us that Nathaniel Hawthorne is more so proposing that a & # 8220 ; good adult male & # 8221 ; can acquire so caught up, in going all that he can be, in the universe that he looses his very psyche and humanity in the procedure.

Bibliography

I have written on the mathematics of Dante Alighieri & # 8217 ; s ( 1265-1321 ) La Divina Commedia: & # 8220 ; Conquest of Genesis: A Study In Universal Creation Mathematics & # 8221 ; , published by the Edwin Mellen Press, 1998

URLs ( on these mathematics )

hypertext transfer protocol: //hometown.aol.com/genesisformulae/commedia_index.html

I am a lifetime member of the Dante Society of America out of Cambridge, Mass.