Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown, German The young neighbor Brown, is a short story by American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, the first time in April 1835 was published in the New England Magazine. The plot of the story takes place in the 17th century in New England at the time of the Puritans and the Salem Witch Trials (1692 ).

Content

One night at sunset, shortly after his marriage to Young Goodman Brown adopted by his wife Faith. He goes in spite of their protests, but with their blessing in the forest outside of Salem to meet with a dark companions. There he witnesses a sinister ritual meeting of the " community of evil," to the many distinguished members of his congregation to participate, even the pastor, the catechism teacher and his own wife, but also mocked sinners.

A dark figure presides over the meeting and promises enlightenment - but Brown resists evil and is suddenly alone in the woods.

The next morning, Brown returns to his village back and shrink from his good old pastor, is afraid of losing a child who is taught by Goody Gloyse, the teacher and refuses to kiss his cheerful woman. Is he asleep in the forest and has the covens only dreaming?

Whether a Dream or Reality - Brown is a desperate, hopeless man who hears hymns and sermons evil and blasphemies and solidified when his wife and children kneel down to pray. On his death, engraved him no Versspruch on his grave, because his hour of death was marked by darkness.

Interpretation

An important feature of Hawthorne's novels and short stories is the ambiguity. This story is full of ambiguous messages. Perhaps the most striking example of the ambiguity of the narrator is the last statement regarding the reality of the experiences of Goodman Brown:

" Is Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest and only dreamed about the crazy dream of a witches meeting? Let it have been so, if you want. "

The majority of critics consider Young Goodman Brown for one of the best of Hawthorne's short stories, but they are less agree on its meaning. When subjects enter the critics on several occasions:

  • The reality of sin,
  • The penetration of evil,
  • The secret sin and hypocrisy of all people,
  • The hypocrisy of Puritanism,
  • The result of doubt or unbelief,
  • The destructive power of moral skepticism
  • Or the demoralizing power of discovery that all men are hypocrites and sinners.

German translations

  • The young neighbor Brown. German by Hannelore Neves and Siegfried Schmitz. In: Nathaniel Hawthorne: Tales. Sketches, prefaces, reviews. Winkler, Munich 1977, ISBN 3-538-05255-7.
  • The young Goodman Brown. German Lore Kruger. : Nathaniel Hawthorne: Mr. Higginbothams undoing. Selected stories. Edited by Heinz Förster. Insel-Verlag, Leipzig 1979.
  • The young Goodman Brown. German by Heiko Postma. jmb, Hannover, 2013, ISBN 978-3-944342-25-2.
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