Authors are given only so many tools to help convey their message to the reader. Such tools as symbolism, foreshadow, characterization and plot are some of the more prevalent tools that any well respected author will use at their pleasure. Where the freedom lies is in how an author chooses to manipulate these story building blocks. Many stories become linked in an almost kismet manner by similar use of any of the aforementioned. Although Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown and Jackson’s The Lottery were not purposely created to complement one another, they are eternally linked for their likeness in regards to their dark plot, symbolic use of characters, and noted use of foreshadowing of something horrible to come.
In The Lottery, Jackson describes the morning of the lottery as “clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day” (Jackson). This is an ironic description to what’s to come later that day. In contrast, Young Goodman Brown begins with a more somber description. Hawthorne, without hesitation, introduces the setting of this story in the first sentence “Young Goodman Brown came forth at sunset into the street of Salem village” (Hawthorne 128). Hawthorne and Jackson both introduce plots with a static community. In Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne depicts a town that not only is known for its ritualistic witchcraft, but for the rituals of burning witches at the stake. He continues to present a community that is paralyzed by tradition by describing the numerous amounts of familiar faces Goodman Brown sees at the meeting in the forest. Hawthorne writes “Among them… appeared faces that would be seen next day at the council board of the province, and other which, Sabbath after Sabbath looked devoutly heavenward…” (Hawthorne 137). The author is evoking the image of a ritualistic community that is as stagnant as a murky lake. In comparison, Jackson depicts a similar plot with a village that cannot turn their heads on tradition in The Lottery. As with Young Goodman Brown the reader gets the idea that the traditions have long been in place. The villagers in The Lottery would appear to the reader to have more fear of breaking tradition. This is apparent when the author writes of the old box that “ Mr. Summers spoke frequently to the villagers about making a new box, but no one liked to upset even as much tradition as represented by the black box” (Jackson). The villagers are so concerned with changing even a minor detail that they avoid replacing the shabby black box.
Both The Lottery and Young Goodman Brown use character names to symbolize deeper meaning in the story. In The Lottery, Hawthorne names two main characters Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves. As the reader turns the pages, it becomes evident that the author is evoking great symbolism and foreshadowing by naming the orchestrators of the lottery Summers and Graves. The author is implying that every summer there will be graves. Hawthorne evokes the image that Summers and Graves represent death in the small village. They are, in essence, the Grim Reaper. In Young Goodman Brown, the author once again uses the names of the main characters to represent symbolism in the story. After seeing what Young Goodman Brown’s initial intentions were in the forest, the reader sees the symbolism in his name. He may not be so “good”. Even more capturing is the name of his “aptly named goodly” wife, Faith (Hawthorne). With her pink ribbons and supposed suitable name, Faith symbolizes Goodman Brown’s religious faith and his innocence. All which is to be lost this night if he doesn’t “pray tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nights in the year” (Hawthorne 129). The author displays great use of play on words in the story. As Goodman Brown states when he is late to his meeting “Faith kept me back” (Hawthorne 130) the reader is provoked to imagine what horrible thing is about to happen.
Both authors succeed at foreshadowing the dark outcomes of their plots. In The Lottery, Jackson begins to hint to the dark conclusion in the second paragraph by describing how the “feeling of liberty sat uneasily on most” of the school children (Jackson). She continues with demonstrating the preparations of Bobby Martin stuffing “his pockets full of stones” (Jackson). The author continues with heavy foreshadowing throughout the story with even hinting to the death of Tessie Hutchinson when Mr. Summers says “thought we were going to have to get on without you, Tessie” (Jackson). This is a clear foreshadow of her death. The foreshadowing in Young Goodman Brown is just as frequent, yet more subtle. Hawthorne does not make it as clear as to who is facing death at the end. Instead the reader is made aware of the impending “death” of innocence. Goodman Brown tells his wife Faith to “go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come of thee” (Hawthorne 129). This statement warns the reader of something bad that is going to happen after dusk. The author also alerts the reader to a loss by using the pink ribbon in Faith’s hair as a symbol of her virtue and his faith. Towards the end of the story Goodman Brown “seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon” from a tree branch. Brown cries “My Faith is gone” (Hawthorne 136). The pink ribbon is his lost faith and her lost innocence.
In Jackson’s The Lottery and Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown, both authors uses similar static plots with characters that hold true to deep traditions, no matter how demented they may seem. The characters in both stories symbolize grave outcomes and a loss of innocence. In conclusion, the reader is provoked by the authors to understand the deeper meaning behind the rituals of the two small towns and the effect on the lives of those involved.
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