Young Goodman Brown' and 'The Crubicle': Literary Comparison

Does religion really make you moral? Many people would believe this to be true. You would never suspect a minister or a religious figure to be an unpleasant person who consciously sins. In the play 'The Crucible', as well as the short story “Young Goodman Brown'', we come to find out that this isn’t the case. “Young Goodman Brown” essay and 'The Crucible' story both consist of a character transformation, a theme of reputation as well as the Puritan community of Salem, that all play an important role to indicate the same message that religion does not determine one's morality. These texts have many similarities to convey this message to the reader, but also have significant differences as well. In Miller's play 'The Crucible' and Hawthorne's short essay “Young Goodman Brown'', irony is used by both authors in order to emphasize the central idea that evil exists in everyone, even the most unexpected.

Finding Similarities and Differences in Both Stories

Firstly, both “Young Goodman Brown” and 'The Crucible' involve a character transformation. Both of these character transformations bring light to the main central idea, that no one is really pure, despite how religious they are. In John Proctor's case, his journey is initiated by his affair with Abigail, in which caused him a great deal of guilt, complications with his marriage, as well as himself and his faith. For Goodman Brown it is his curiosity and motivation to become a better man that lead him into the woods to meet the devil, where this transformation takes place. We are able to see Goodman Brown's experience through a third person narrative where he comes to the realization that evil is in everyone, including himself. The end result of Goodman Brown's journey differs from John Proctors in the fact that it leads to forfeit, rather than redemption. He was confident in his religious faith but as soon as seeing people such as Deacon Gookin, Goody Closye and most importantly, his own wife Faith involved with the devil, he became an untrusting and paranoid man. For Proctor, he had known he wasn't pure from the beginning and did not hold himself and his reputation on a pedestal like Goodman Brown did. He was not presented as a good man, but we came to realize he was the most wise and selfless. “Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!.” Proctor refuses to falsely confess to protect himself resulting in his death. He can now see some good in himself and forgive his sin. This is ironic because he was the least religious, but ended up making the most selfless choices, while those who were the most religious, did not. This demonstrates that you don't have to be religious to have good morals. His journey resulted in him accepting his sins and not giving in to the hysteria like the rest, while Young goodman Brown let this experience take over his life negatively. “‘There,’ resumed the sable form, ‘are all whom ye have reverenced from youth. You deemed them holier than yourselves, and shrank from your own sin, contrasting it with their lives of righteousness and prayerful aspirations heavenward. Yet here they all are in my worshiping assembly.” The devil explains to young Goodman brown that the people he looked up to as pious Christians worship him as much as people he sees at outcasts and sinners. Once Brown realizes this evil in every human, he can’t stop seeing it. Although these transformations have different results with different perspectives, they develop the same idea that no one is really what they seem.

Secondly, Miller and Hawthorne both use the theme of reputation in an ironic way to display this central idea. Hawthorne is showing the massive hypocrisy in the time of the Puritans, whilst also indicating the natural sinfulness that exists within all humanity. In both the texts, Young Goodman Brown and almost all of the characters in 'The Crucible' value their reputation tremendously. So much so that they start blaming and threatening others to protect their reputations. In “Young Goodman Brown” this fear of having his reputation ruined is also very evident. He is afraid of people seeing him in the woods with the devil. “A marvel, truly, that Goody Cloyse should be so far in the wilderness at nightfall,’ said he. ‘But, with your leave, friend, I shall take a cut through the woods until we have left this Christian woman behind. Being a stranger to you, she might ask whom I was consorting with and whither I was going.” Young Goodman Brown is surprised to see Goody Cloyse and assumes she won’t recognize the devil because of her moral status in Salem. Young Goodman Brown chooses to avoid her to protect his reputation and family name. He has great confidence in his faith and holiness due to his family legacy. When confronted with the fact his ancestors have been involved with the devil he is surprised and says,“I marvel they never spoke of these matters; or, verily, I marvel not, seeing that the least rumor of the sort would have driven them from New England. We are a people of prayer, and good works to boot, and abide no such wickedness.” This knowledge of his family having met with the devil starts destroying his belief system because Goodman brown roots his beliefs in the actions of others rather than his own. He believes that since his ancestors were good, he must be too. This mindset is the same of those in 'The Crucible'. Many people believe that their goodness is based on their reputation in their community, blinded by the evil actions they carry out to hold this reputation. “I (Parris) have fought here three long years to bend these stiff-necked people to me, and now, just now when some good respect is rising for me in the parish, you compromise my very character. I have given you a home, child. I have put clothes on your back – now give me an upright answer. Your name in the town – it is entirely white, is it not?'. This quote spoken by Parris reveals how he is more worried about losing his name and position rather than the well-being of his daughter. It is clear that the characters are all overly concerned with the appearance of goodness rather than if their actions are reflecting it.

Although Young Goodman Brown and 'The Crucible' involve many similarities, there is also a very important difference between the two. The message of “no on being innocent” is developed through an experience in the eyes of Young Goodman Brown, while it is developed through an outsider perspective overlooking the ironic actions of Salem in 'The Crucible'. In 'The Crucible' there is less questioning then there is in “Young Goodman Brown”, where the reader is uncertain of what is reality and what is not because of how unrealistic it is made out to be. In the short story, much of the story is focused on followers of the devil, which seems to be everyone. No one can be trusted and there aren’t many protagonists to follow. In 'The Crucible', many people are not trusted but there are a few people who appear to not sin and aren't accused. There are trusted people who are known to follow God, such as Hale. “I have seen too many frightful proofs in court—the Devil is alive in Salem, and we dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points!”. This line is spoken by reverend hale proving he was one of the few that did not give into hysteria. He gave hope with his good intentions and tried to make people understand you can't believe everything that is said. The two stories are different in that there is hope in 'The Crucible' while the short story seems like an endless nightmare that cannot be fixed. 'The Crucible' offers a sense of hope while it ends a somewhat positive note with Proctor being selfless, while he had made selfish decisions in the past, even though this cost him his life. Young Goodman Brown is different as it has a more negative and uneasy tone to it, as Goodman loses hope in all humanity. In the short story “Young Goodman Brown'' it is not determined whether this is a real event, or if it's a dream , but it is sure to say it took a toll on Young Goodman brown's life. In comparison, 'The Crucible' is more of a realistic plot with no specific devil figure involved.

Conclusion

Fascinating texts of 'The Crucible' and “Young Goodman Brown” will definitely encourage one to evaluate themselves as well as the people around them. In 'The Crucible' and “Young Goodman Brown” both authors use dramatic, verbal and situational irony to convey a message to the audience. Irony is a crucial way in which authors can develop deeper stages of meaning in a text. Additionally, it also is an efficient way of engaging a reader in a text.The irony was used to show how hypocritical the puritans of Salem were during the time and to reveal the characters true colors. Everyone seemed pure and perfect but the majority of them had underlying demons which showed through their actions. They did not practice what they preached but acted as if they did. This answers the question that religion in fact, does not determine one's morality.