Young+Goodman+Brown+Historical+Content

media type="custom" key="12841988"Nathaniel Hawthorne often used history as a meaningful backdrop in his work. These tangible connections to reality make the themes of his work carry a deeper significance to the reader. It is no surprise, then, that “Young Goodman Brown” contains references to real people, places, and events. The mass hysteria surrounding the Salem witch trials, the time period around which the story is set, plants the seed of doubt within the reader’s mind as to the motivations and aspirations of Hawthorne’s characters. media type="custom" key="12879294"The first example of historical content found in the story is in Hawthorne’s use of real people as minor characters. Goody Cloyse was actually Sarah Cloyse, accused in Salem village of witchcraft but never indicted. “When Brown marveled that Goody Cloyse, who had taught him his catechism was in the forest after dark, he referred to an historical witch” (Shoemaker). Likewise, both Goody Cory, a reference to Martha Cory, an extremely pious woman, and Martha Carrier, were accused of witchcraft and hung in 1692. Another character with historical overtones is Deacon Gookin. Deacon Gookin was based on Daniel Gookin, “colonial magistrate, and superintendent of the Christian Indians” (McIntosh 68). Gookin worked closely with Nathaniel Hawthornes great-great-great grandfather William Hathorne, and looked after his widow in the years following Hathorne’s death media type="custom" key="12879310"Nathaniel Hawthorne also makes use of real places. Salem village, the story’s setting, and where Goodman Brown begins his journey, is automatically associated with the witch trials of the 1690s. By using Salem, Hawthorne does not have to build a sense of fear, doubt, and superstition in the reader, it is already assumed by the village’s infamous history. The dark stranger at one point mentions that “The clock of the Old South was striking as I came through Boston” (Hawthorne 4). The Old South referred to here is the Old South Meeting House, which James McIntosh writes was “built in 1670, on the site of the later Old South Church” (66). media type="custom" key="12879316"“Young Goodman Brown” also incorporates real events in to the fabric of the short story. The first example of this is Hawthorne’s mention of King Philip’s War. Also known as the First Indian War, it consisted of many small skirmishes between the English colonists and Native Americans in New England between the years of 1675 to 1678. Another example of this is when Goodman Brown exclaims “We have been a race of honest men and good Christians since the days of the martyrs” (Hawthorne 4). This is a reference to the Canterbury Martyrs, put to death by Queen Mary I for heresy around 1555.

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