Different Because In Young Goodman Brown Evil example essay topic
436 words
B. 1. The writers of the early American short stories assumed their readers had certain beliefs. For instance, in The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving suggests that his readers believe in witches and ghosts. Throughout Irving's Legend of Sleepy Hollow witches and ghosts are mentioned like the people reading the story believe in them. In one passage, Irving writes; "However wide awake they may have been before they entered that sleepy region, they are sure, in a little time, to inhale the witching influence of the air, and begin to grow imaginative- to dream dreams, and see apparitions". This passage suggests that Irving believes in witches and in the strange air of Sleepy Hollow. Because Irving speaks so openly about witchcraft, it is suggested that he thinks his readers believe in witchcraft and magic. In Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne assumed that his readers were too trusting in people and wanted to show them that not everyone is good. Hawthorne probably wanted to show people that even the government and church and "good people" are not always good. B. 2 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Young Goodman Brown are both short stories written at approximately the same time; because of this they have similar themes. Both of these stories focus on witches and witchcraft.
Another similarity in these stories is that the main characters run into danger at nighttime. Also, the two main characters have their encounters with evil in the deep woods. This shows that during this time period, and even today, the woods are a source of mystery and intrigue. While these stories are related in many aspects they also have numerous differences. Ichabod Crane, in Sleepy Hollow, was driven into the woods and met his tragic fate, never to be seen again. Goodman Brown, however, emerged from the woods with a new cynical outlook on life, that no one is good.
These characters were both hugely impacted by their encounters with evil, but Ichabod was killed and Goodman Brown lived to tell the story and probably died cynical and un trusting. These stories are also different because in Young Goodman Brown evil is encountered in the form of the devil and witches. These were probably more "real" threats what Ichabod encounters in Sleepy Hollow, a headless horseman. Another difference between Sleepy Hollow and Young Goodman Brown is that Young Goodman Brown is a story of religious doubts and confusion, while Sleepy Hollow is a story of mystery, lost love and tall tales.
