The Use of Color Symbolism by Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay

Is it possible for an author to utilize so much symbolism that it captivates the reader to the extent of paralleling the tale with their own life? The principle of symbolism is quite evident in the story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. Nathaniel Hawthorn’s work is immersed with symbolism with most of it deriving from his Puritan beliefs. The themes of sin, guilt, innocence, and lust come forth through the uses of color symbolism as well as visual clues. All of these things are dealt with in everyday life in modern America. â€Å"His ability to create vivid and symbolic images that embody great moral questions appears strongly in his short stories.† (Bloom) To begin to understand the mind of Nathaniel Hawthorne you must†¦show more content†¦The pink ribbons in Faith’s hair are Hawthorne’s way to captivate the reader’s imagination. By doing so it makes the reader question as they are reading whether or not Fai th is as pure as she portrays to be. â€Å"Those celebrated pink ribbons on Faith’s cap-the objects of an astonishing range of responses by critics of the story are vital to an understanding of her metamorphosis and of Brown’s desperate efforts to recover his faith.† (Bloom) As Goodman Brown enters into the forest Hawthorn utilizes once again the description of darkness to symbolize the forest as being a place of evil doings. In the description of the staff that the old man held resembled that of a black snake. The use of the color black would indicate the possibility of the staff being a symbol of something evil, but the addition of snake was sure to set the reader at full attention. A black snake is what tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden in the Bible. Hawthorne utilized this color symbolism to warn of the evil doings or thoughts the older traveler was involved in. After Goodman Brown was disappointed by hearing what the pastor and deacon of his church were talking about he began to question God and if there truly was a heaven. As God does in our own lives he sent signals to reveal to Goodman Brown the love he has for mankind. For Goodman Brown that was the blue arch and the sky filled with stars shining. During Brown’s realization of God’s all knowing power Hawthorne then proves a pointShow MoreRelatedSymbolism, Use Of Color, And Themes Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1657 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolism, Use of Color, and Themes in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is regarded as the first symbolic novel in American Literature for Nathaniel Hawthorne s skillful use of symbolism and allegory. The novel is also said to be the greatest accomplishment of American short story and is viewed as the first American psychological novel, which makes Hawthorne win an incomparable position in American Literature. 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