Allegorical Components in "Rip Van Essay

He might have received his wish but that wish cost him 20 years.

In "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne allows us to look at the frail nature of man through Brown's curious nature. He wants to know what is happening in the woods and does not stop to think of the unintended consequences. He does not know what to think when he stumbles upon the scene in the forest. The sight of respectable citizens partaking in a satanic ritual makes Brown feel "overburdened with the heavy sickness of his heart" (Hawthorne 594). He looses faith in man and, subsequently, faith in God, wondering if there was a "heaven above him" (594). He vows to "stand firm against the devil" (294) despite everything but the knowledge of his wife in the forest proves to be more than he can bear. Hawthorne utilizes the aspect of change to demonstrate the fragile human psyche.

"Rip Van Winkle" and "Young Goodman Brown" are two tales that illustrate the delicate nature of man. We often think of mankind as tough and capable but thee stories reveal that while man is resilient to a certain extent, he is also frail and his nature must be protected from foolish wishes and silly desires that might lead to an inner destruction that might not be outwardly recognizable.We may wish to belong in another time but we do not consider the ramifications of such a shift. Likewise, we may want to know the truth about things but when we learn it, it crushes our spirit. Each author successfully integrates these sentiments with the inclusion of fantastical elements.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Ed.

R.V. Cassill. New York W.W. Norton and Company. 1981. pp. 589-99.

Irving, Washington. "Rip Van Winkle." The Complete Tales of Washington Irving. Ed.

Charles Neider. New….....