Browns Fall Essay - 1998 Words

The setting of a work can be the most powerful literary devices an author uses in their work. Setting refers to a location or time in which a work is set. Setting has a wide range of possibilities. The setting of a work may be as simple as a single room or may be as complex as the author or characters psychological state of mind. Authors can use setting to enhance the theme of their works. One author in particular is Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† in 1835. His time period influenced the theme of his work. The theme Hawthorne chose was the weakness of public morality. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† Hawthorne shows this theme through the perspective of a Puritan man, Goodman Brown. In the story Hawthorne†¦show more content†¦William served as a colonial legislator and a major in the Salem militia. Despite Williams better deeds he is better known for his suppression of heretics, who also inhabited the land. During one tria l Hathorne had ordered a burglars ear to be cut off and have his forehead branded with the letter B. Williams son John had followed his fathers footsteps, he also became a judge. Nathaniel’s great-grandfather Johns actions as a judge influenced the writing of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. In 1691, Salem had seen hard times. The town had gone through a brutal winter, an outbreak of smallpox, and heavy taxes from the British. The townsfolks only explanation at the time was the devil. The bible had warned the puritan peoples of the devils evil ways, and the humans that serve him, witches. In 1692 the people of Salem had convinced themselves that witchcraft was invading the town. The people believed witchcraft was the cause for their economic and spiritual troubles. Many innocent townspeople were being accused of being witches and were brought before John Hathorne in court. These trials were later named the Salem Witch Trials. John had relied on hearsay and spectral evidence to convict almost thirty-one people of witchcraft. Spectral evidence was the most common way to convict someone of witchcraft. Spectral evidence was something that only appeared to the victims of witchcraft. It was based uponShow MoreRelated Things Fall Apart Essay714 Words   |  3 PagesThings Fall Apart Opposites do not Attract In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Mr. Brown, the first missionary in Umuofia, was a kind and respectful man. Not to say that Reverend James Smith was not, but his degree of kindness and respect were present in a whole different level. They both wanted to convert the lost, all those in Umuofia that were not in the church. 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In the book, Things Fall Apart, author, Chinua Achebe, introduces the reader to an entirely new side of African culture, and the changes brought when outside forces collided with a different culture through the author’s characterization, the novel’s theme, and the author’s purpose. Chinua Achebe uses characterization in the first part of Things Fall Apart to introduce the beliefs and male gender expectations of the people of the IboRead MoreThe Change And Growth Of Human Interaction995 Words   |  4 Pagesdestructive growth. Often, the inevitable clash of old and new worlds provides opportunities for collective as well as individual growth, but it also creates friction between those who hold the extreme and uncompromising views. Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart examines the interaction between two very different societies and the evolution of this interaction that changed and continues to change the world and society. 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