Young Goodman Brown

                The entire story of “Young Goodman Brown” is a religious allegory, containing names and events that represent a deeper religious meaning.

                First, Goodman Brown constantly faces temptation throughout the story which results in him going against his faith and beliefs. Hawthorne wrote the story in the time period of the Salem witch trials in which people believed the woods to be evil. Goodman Brown felt curious, however, and felt his first temptation to enter the woods. As Goodman Brown first enters the woods, he says to his self, “What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!” Goodman Brown understands that entering the woods is against his faith, but he continues on his journey through the woods. Then, a man approaches Goodman Brown and notifies him that he is late. Goodman replies, “Faith kept me back awhile.” Goodman Brown’s faith helped him question whether he should enter the woods and continue through them, but he continued anyways. He changes his faith based on others and based on temptation, representing a religious allegory.

                Next, the character of Goodman Brown’s wife, Faith, is a major religious character. The name Faith contains the meaning in itself. When Goodman Brown mentions the word “faith” in the story he is not only talking about his wife but also about his literal religious faith. At the beginning of the story, Goodman Brown tells, “Faith kept me back awhile.” However, as his journey continues and his faith weakens, he loses faith. Goodman cried out, “My faith is gone. There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is this world given.” Goodman’s trust in his wife, Faith, is gone along with his religious faith. The name of his wife has a religious meaning and adds a deep effect to the short story.

                Through the middle of the story, Goodman Brown continues to travel through the forest. As he “lifted his hands to pray, a cloud, though no wind was stirring, hurried across the zenith and hid the brightening stars,” he once again loses faith and hope to avoid temptation. In the Christmas story, the star of Bethlehem led the wise men to the birthplace of Jesus. In Goodman Brown’s case, he had the opportunity to follow the star and follow his faith, but instead the dark cloud of the devil and temptation covered the star.

Soldier's Home - 12/6/13

Krebs struggles to re-enter normal life after he returns from the war. Since none of his family or all of the citizens surrounding him has no understanding of his struggles from the war and receives absolutely no appreciation from them, Krebs feels apathy towards life. He constantly reflects on his own life and his opinions regarding different struggles he faces when he returns home. The constant repetition that Hemingway utilizes throughout the short story “Soldier’s Home” emphasize the theme and purpose of the story and help the reader understand how Krebs truly feels.

                Krebs begins with repetition about girls for a few pages within the short story. He began with mentioning, “Nothing was changed in the town except for the young girls had grown up. But they lived in such a complicated world of already defined alliances and shifting feuds that Krebs did not feel the energy or courage to break into it.” This line accentuates Krebs change that he encounters when he returns to his hometown. The town did not change but the people around him did, and nobody understands him, not even the young girls. Since nobody appreciated his service in the war once he returned, he has no courage or ambition to even approach any of the girls. Krebs also tells later that “he did not want to get into the intrigue and politics…did not want to have to do any courting…did not want to tell any more lies.” He does not want to explain to a girl what he has dealt with and the struggles he constantly deals with after returning from the war. The repetition of the girls and “lies” help explain why Krebs really struggled returning home. 

The Story of an Hour

Irony is a major element in the short story “The Story of an Hour”. The story introduces Mrs. Mallard as a woman with heart trouble and also introduces her husband’s death. Throughout most of the story, Mrs. Mallard has the belief that her husband died in a railroad disaster. Once Mrs. Mallard finds out about her husband, she cries. Her tears were not the typical tears that respond to death, but rather tears of joy. She began to visualize a new life on her own, and “monstrous joy” overtook her. Vivid details such as “new spring life,” and “delicious breath of rain” and “countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves” illustrate the enlightening mood that overwhelms Mrs. Mallard. Mrs. Mallard’s reaction to her husband’s death is quite ironic as most people would typically become deeply saddened over a close death. Also, another ironic moment is the closing of the story. As Mrs. Mallard dreams and celebrates her new, free life now that her husband is gone, a major shock occurs. Mr. Mallard shows up at the house. He was not actually involved in the railroad accident and it was just a misunderstanding; Mrs. Mallard dies in shock as a result of his appearance. This particular moment shows irony as Mrs. Mallard dies at the same time as she realizes that her husband is actually alive.

 Certain lines throughout the story foreshadow the turn of events that are about to occur. For example, “There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it fearfully. What was it? She did not know; it was too subtle and too elusive to name. But she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her” foreshadows that death is coming to her. Also, “she was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her” is another example of foreshadowing that sets up Mrs. Mallard’s death.  Mrs. Mallard’s “heart troubles” also foreshadow what will happen. The author introduces her character and instantly mentions her heart disease. The story closes with “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of the joy that kills.” People originally thought that Mrs. Mallard would die of heartbreak at the death of her husband, but instead she actually dies when she finds out that her husband is alive. The first line foreshadows the events ahead and helps represent irony at its finest.