The Deeper Meanings of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young

The Deeper Meanings of materialization Goodman BrownYoung Goodman Brown, a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, should be experienceed on a psychoanalytical level rather than a religious one. It is my observation that Young Goodman Brown may very well be the first published represent alluding to divisions of the thought and personality theory. Although religion is a direct theme throughout the story, Young Goodman Brown appears to be an allegory with deeper meanings. To explore properly my position concerning the dynamics of Young Goodman Brown, it is necessary to understand Freuds structural model. The development of Freuds structural model presents an understanding of the struggles between the conscious and unconscious forces of the mind. The structural model indicates three powerful forces that regulate conscious behavior, or binders of reality. These three forces consist of the id, superego, and ego. When Young Goodman Brown begins his journey down the path of the haunted f orest, he quickly meets a fellow-traveler that I interpret as the irrational guide lurking inside himself. The guide repeatedly urges Goodman Brown to continue the errand despite Browns overwhelming reluctance he assures him that We are but a little way in the forest yet (Hawthorne 274). The traveler demonstrates a subconscious part of the psyche called the id. The id is that part of the psyche that is driven by joy and irrational wishing. The guides insistence never seems to be in Browns best interest. The travelers motive was to do what feels good at the time, not putting into account any voltage ramification that could result, which in this story turns out to be the loss of Goodman Browns wife, Faith. His reckless behavior is ap... ...ind may be found within Hawthornes story. If the reader will solely look past its literal interpretation and explore the rich symbols and hidden meanings laden throughout the text, she or he will be rewarded with a work of fiction that was way b efore its time. Works Cited Carpenter, Richard. Hawthornes Polar Explorations Young Goodman Brown and My Kinsman, Major Molineux. Nineteenth Century Fiction 24 (1969) 45-56. Gay, Peter. Freud A Life for Our Time. new-fangled York Doubleday, 1989. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown. Literature Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Robert DiYanni. 4th ed. Boston McGraw & Hill, 1998. 272-280. Hurley, Paul. Young Goodman Browns Heart of Darkness. American Literature 37 (1966) 410-419. Paulits, Walter. Ambivalence in Young Goodman Brown. American Literature 41 (1970) 577-584.