ribbons and bows

A detailed Summary of ribbons and bows

Nathaniel Hawthorne has a brilliant method of connecting his works. When

closely examining the stories, "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Minister's Black

Veil," one can see these similarities. Hawthorne uses colors, secret sins, and gloomy

deaths to carefully tie a bow with the ribbons of these stories.

The first similarity between "Young Goodman Brown, " and "The Minister's

Black Veil'" is the obvious color usage. Hawthorne uses the colors' symbolic meaning to

convey subliminal ideas or thoughts toward objects and characters in his stories. In

"Young Goodman Brown," the color brown is used to give one a feeling of gloom or

uncleanness toward the main character, Goodman Brown. Hawthorne casts this

awareness to his readers in the very beginning contrasting the characters actions.

Goodman Brown is portrayed as a good person, trying to fight the evils by, "sitting

himself on down on a stump of a tree, and refusing to go any further" (1239). Brown tells

the devil, "too far, too far!" as they walk deeper into the forest (1237). He states that he

and his ancestors are ,"a race of honest men and good Christians" (1237). Unfortunately,

Minister Hooper also died in grief because of the happenings in his life. He never lifted

mentioned several times throughout the story. The topic of the minister's first sermon

of his wife. He reefers to her as his, "sweet, pretty wife" (1236). He contradicts this in

Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton & Company, 1998. 1236-1245.

devil. "And maddened with despair, so that he laughed loud and long, did goodman

of Mr. Hopper's temperament" (1254). The words "dark" and "gloom" are prevalent in

upon the witch meeting in the forest. The next morning, Brown is separated from the

"a veiled corpse" (1261). Although Hopper's veil was visible, one could say that Brown

her face, and passed on without a greeting" (1244). The story ends emphasizing

community because of secret sins. When his family would pray, Brown would glare at

American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton & Company, 1998.

Approximate Word count = 795
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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