Cultures: The Case Of Genital Mutilation

Cultures: The Case Of Genital Mutilation This article explained the reasoning and differing views on female genital mutilation. The article describes in detail the three types of female genital mutilation, or FGM. The first is called clitoridectomy, in which part of the clitoris or the whole clitoris is removed. The bleeding caused by this procedure is usually stopped by either applying direct pressure or stitching the wound. The second type of genital cutting is call excision. In this procedure, both the clitoris and the labia minora are removed, and the bleeding after the procedure is stopped by stitching up the wound. The third and most extreme method of genital cutting is called infibulation. In this method, the entire clitoris and labia minora are removed, and incisions are made into the labia majora. The raw surfaces of the labia majora are then either stitched together or made to be held together until they heal together. The newly formed skin covers the urethra and the majority of the vaginal opening. Infibulation i s not used as frequently as the clitoridectomy or excision, but it is still used on rare occasion. No matter which form of genital cutting is used, there have been many extensive and sometimes chronic health problems associated with female genital mutilation. These include chronic and repeated infections, difficulties in urination and menstruation, pain during intercourse, infertility, and obstruction during childbirth, causing painful tearing and excess bleeding. Most of these are caused most by the infibulation method, as it obstructs the most. However, major complications can still arise from the other two methods as well. These complications are generally ignored in cultures where female genital mutilation is accepted as a cultural norm. This practice is seen as a cultural norm in such countries as Africa and the Middle East. The World Health Organization states that between 85 and 115 million women worldwide have undergone genital cutting. Most of these instances have occurred in regions of Africa or the Middle East, although there are now beginning to be small numbers of cases reported in countries such as Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It seems that the conclusion being argued for in this article is that the mutilation of female genitalia is wrong, regardless of any persuasion cultural or otherwise. This article makes reference to several cases that argue for the ethical soundness of female genital mutilation, and it refutes each of these as invalid arguments. The first of these arguments states that it is morally wrong to criticize the practices of another country unless we are prepared to equally criticize similar practices in our own country, and states that the United States is guilty of doing this. While it may be true that the United States can tend to be oblivious to the plight of other countries in some respects, body image is not one of them. American women are all too aware of what it means to feel pressure to adapt to the right or ideal body image, because of the heavy influence the Western culture feels from the media to look a certain way. The tacit influence the media has on the Western culture is that if you do not look like the women on the television screen, you are a failure. It is untrue for this argument to state that the United States is not critical of themselves in the same way. Therefore, this argument is not valid. The second argument states that it is morally impermissible to criticize the practices of another culture until their own culture is completely free of all evil and immoral practices. This argument is, to put it plainly, ridiculous; how can it be morally permissible to ignore a cry for help just because the one who hears the call is not perfect? This would make helping anybody at any time completely immoral. For example, a doctor would not be able to help a patient if he engaged in a morally questionable activity at any time in the near past. This goes directly against the Hippocratic Oath that the doctor takes that explicitly states that he is to help people. This argument is also invalid. The third argument says that female genital mutilation is equal in morality to dieting and body shaping in the Western culture. However, there are several basic differences between the two practices. The first difference is that while dieting and body shaping is completely voluntary, genital mutilation is an involuntary procedure. The father makes the decision about whether or not to make is daughter participate in genital mutilation. The girl is then held down by several grown women while the procedure is performed so she doesnt jerk away. Dieting and body shaping are completely by choice, regardless of the pressure one may feel from the media or their peers. Another difference is that genital mutilation cannot be undone. Dieting, on the other hand, is very easily reversed. A third difference is that genital mutilation is mostly performed in unsafe and unsanitary conditions that children should not be exposed to, and dieting is not. A fourth difference is that female genital mutilat ion causes extreme health risks, not limited to death. Dieting only causes problems like this when taken to extremes, such as anorexia and bulimia. These are both reversible and treatable. A fifth difference is that female genital mutilation is usually performed on girls much too young to know the difference, or even give consent. (Even if she were old enough, consent would be irrelevant anyway.) Dieting, on the other hand, is something young adults and adults partake in. All of these differences illustrated are more than enough to prove that dieting and genital mutilation are not even close to being related in any sense. Therefore, this argument is also invalid. The fourth argument states that female genital mutilation involves the loss of a function that is not vitally essential to the lives of those losing it, and that the Western culture attaches far too much significance to it. To imply that genital cutting is depriving a woman of sexual pleasure is to say that she is merely a sexual being, and that is degrading to women. There is no difference between genital cutting and leading a life of celibacy. While the outcome of genital cutting and celibacy may be the same, we cannot say that the two are equal. Celibacy can be ended at any time, if the individual so chooses. That is the fundamental difference: choice. Female genital mutilation is not optional, voluntary, or reversible. Therefore, this argument is invalid because the premises do not match the outcome. ENTRY 2 Sex Consequences: World Population Growth vs. Reproductive Rights by Margaret P. Battin This article addresses the issue of world population growth while also explaining how the human race can have children within the carrying capacity of the land and the environment around them, thus proving more responsible. The conflict in the article is that human can reproduce at a rate that strips the land of vital, life sustaining resources by overpopulating it. This can be dangerous and life threatening to the human race as a whole. Land is a finite resource and can only sustain and support a certain number of people. Anything beyond that number could be fatal. According to the author, Battin, our current world population is 5.8 billion people. The growth rate of the population is that it doubles once roughly every 40 years. At this rate, the population is set to hit 12.5 billion by the end of the century. Another 40 years later, and the population will be at 25 billion, and then 50 billion, 100 billion, and so on. However, the land cannot sustain this many people, so the population will never actually hit this extreme. The population will shrink in size again due starvation or other natural causes before it ever gets that high. Now the problem is, how to keep that from happening? Thomas Malthus th eorized that the population needs to be controlled; while he did not advocate direct population control, he thought perhaps the morality and common sense of the population would serve as a sort of birth control. However, he knew that the reality was the population would still go through stages of overpopulation and starvation. Therefore he said that population control must be exerted from an outside source to keep the human population from dooming themselves to extinction. The feminist group, on the other hand, believes that the controlling of the population growth equates to controlling people. Also, they are convinced that contraceptive programs are tested exclusively by first world male doctors, and they test their programs on less privileged third world women. As one feminist movement states, population control is racist, sexist, and classist. It also states that the contraception programs try to force the values of a first world, well-off group of people onto the less privileged. There is a conclusion to help settle this dispute, which will be explored in detail. The solution that the author argues for is that everybody in the world, male and female, should use a form of super effective, easily reversible automatic birth control, or contraception. There are two major types already on the market for women. These are the intrauteral Copper T380A, and the subdermal Norplant. For men, nothing is readily on the market; however, there are several automatic contraceptive options for men being tested for use on humans. If everyone used a form of automatic background birth control, pregnancy would be a choice rather than a chance. The argument for this type of logic is that in the United States, roughly 50% of all pregnancies are not planned. Also, half of these unplanned pregnancies are aborted. This is generally due to the fact that the parents are simply not prepared for a pregnancy, including and especially pregnancies that occur because of failed birth control. These pregnancies would most likely be welcomed at a later time, when the parents were more prepared and ready for a pregnancy and to start a family. Granting the individual the ability to choose when they wanted a pregnancy to occur would put much more power in the hands of the individual to help control the population growth. Generally speaking, parents would not choose to have as many children or pregnancies as they would if they left it to chance. Also, women would not fall prey to agreeing to something in the heat of the moment, or being coerced into agreeing to bear a child. A pregnancy would not occur as a result of rape, or because of a m isuse or nonuse of a birth control method. This opens a whole new world to women; instead of making the option to be pregnant a negative choice to a positive choice. Instead of risking getting pregnant, a woman would be able to choose when to allow her body to become pregnant. There would also be a degree of reproductive freedom for men as well. They would not have to worry about accidentally causing a pregnancy, and then having to be responsible for the child that they helped create. They would be completely free. While they could still be tricked by a woman who had her device removed without his knowledge, there is much less risk than if the woman forgot accidentally or purposely to use her birth control or misused it. However, the woman still holds the majority of control over the result of the contraception in the intercourse. The logic used here is that if everyone used background contraception, then everyone would be free to make the decision on whether or not to become pregnant or not. Everyone has the right to choose whether or not they want to be pregnant. Background contraception grants that choice. Therefore, all humans should be made to install automatic contraception. While this is a valid argument, I am not sure I agree with it. While this would indeed solve the reproduction growth crisis, it would also take away human free will. Many people may not be receptive to this type of control, not to mention that these types of automatic contraception are not particularly inexpensive. It would not make sense to initiate a population growth control based on these two factors alone. As Battin points out, the initiation of this type of control has an almost fascist sound. Forcing everyone into the same type of contraception would pose as a major threat to free will, and would cause some dire consequences to occur for those enforcing it. ENTRY 3 Womens Rights as Human Rights: Toward a Re-Vision of Human Rights by Charlotte Bunch For centuries, there has been a distinction between human rights and womens rights. This distinction is disconcerting; because of it, numerous heinous crimes have been committed against women, including mutilation, starvation, and murder. Technically, because there is a distinction, womens rights are not classified as human rights. Since women are humans, why are womens rights not viewed as human rights? Does this make women less human than men? Surely this cannot be so. While it is obvious that women are no less human than men, they are sometimes treated as such a lower life form. Even in situations that men and women are both treated unfairly, it is the male that is seen as mistreated, and the female almost fades into background noise. In a male-predominate culture, women are seen as not as important, and are often treated as lesser to the male, even in their suffering. While the concept of human rights is one that is widely internationally known and accepted, womens rights are not as commonly accepted as humane or even right. However, it has been theorized that the universality of human rights can be used as a tie to help bridge the gap between human rights and womens rights. In 1948, the Declaration of Human Rights was set forth. This outlines the guidelines of the basic rights we as human beings have. In that Declaration, Eleanor Roosevelt fought to add Article 2, which says that all people have the right to everything enclosed in the Declaration, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status. The addition of not discriminating against gender was meant to begin to fix the issue of womens subordination. There are four approaches that the author, Bunch, speaks about, which she believes to be an effective way to bridge the gap, so to speak, between human rights and womens rights. While these approaches can apply to several areas of life, she writes that they are particularly helpful in drawing a connection between human rights and womens rights. They also demonstrate how violence toward women is a violation of basic human rights. The first approach that Bunch speaks about is to take into account the specific needs of women as civil and political rights, while also calling to attention the particularly heinous tortures women suffer through simply because of the fact that they are female. One instance where this has been done is when the Womens Task Force of Amnesty International took a stand to launch a campaign for women who are held as political prisoners and are sexually abused, which causes them to not be able to care for their children and thus causing a violation of human rights on the children. This directly links a violation of womens rights to a violation of human rights. This is a valid and sound argument; it shows a clear, direct correlation between the two premises that a violation of womens rights causes a violation of human rights and therefore, it is wrong. The second approach is to regard womens rights as socioeconomic rights. This is in regards to food, employment, shelter, and health care. This is the view taken by those who would view human rights as too individualized, and take womens rights as a purely economic issue. In other words, human rights do not have meaning without an economic definition. This helps to galvanize women into protecting themselves from workplace violence, and from being taken advantage of by employers. Women cannot be targeted as cheap, easily exploited employment, because this would violate their human rights. This is also a valid argument. The third approach is to view womens rights through a legal scope. There have been new legal guidelines set in place to guard against gender discrimination, and this has added a new dimension to the womens rights debate. The specific laws that state the legal issues behind gender discrimination and violence against women are one major example of this third approach. These laws have made it possible for women to be able to fight for their rights to be treated fairly, as human beings, rather than a lower life form to males. The most important international form of this law is called the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which has been stated to be essentially an international bill of rights for women and a framework for womens participation in the development processà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[which] spells out internationally accepted principles and standards for achieving equality between women and men. This Convention has been accepted by 104 countries, as of January 1990. This means that all countries that have agreed to and accepted the Convention must adhere to and abide by the laws stated within it, and a report must be submitted to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, proving their compliance to the Convention. However, the Convention never actually directly addresses the issue of violence against women. This is its one shortcoming; it does, however, clearly state a human rights outline for women within it. If all governments accepted this Convention, this would be a great way to start heading in the right direction toward men and women being treated equally. This is a valid and sound argument The fourth and final approach that Bunch explains is to view human rights through feminist lenses, so to speak. What this means is that we are to view human rights in such a way that more thoroughly examines how human rights affect this lives of women in depth, and then asking how human rights can be more responsive and sensitive to women. While the other three approaches merely had a feminist taint, this approach is the most blatantly feminist; it clearly takes a stance that purely centered around women, and waits for no one to tell them if their approach is an accurate human rights issue or not. The danger in approaching the issue with this narrow scope is that it rules out too much reason. While it may be a valid argument, in my opinion, it has not been thought through thoroughly enough and is simply ignoring some of the basic rules of logic.

Narrative Written in the Perspective of a Holocaust Victim

Margot Heuman February 17, 1928 Hellenthal, Germany http://www. museumoftolerance. com/site/apps/nlnet/content2. aspx? c=tmL6KfNVLtH&b=5759983&ct=7872847 In early 1942, 14-year old Margot and her family were arrested, being sent to the Theresiestadt ghettos in Czechoslovakia. Her family was not separated until later when they were transported to Auschwitz. Seen One Day, Gone Another I've become emotionless, knowing the events that occur around me. Living in the ghettos in 1942 is hell; for me and everyone here, our lives have become a routine of slave labor and starvation. My sister and I work hard to produce anything our ruthless enemies want, in the hopes of getting another ration of bread. They work us to the bones in the factory till dusk. After being outrageously worn out, sweating away our lives at the factory, my stomach screams of hunger. Like a pack of starved lions being released and set toward their favorite prey, I feel the hunger boiling inside of me. I rush toward the already-forming line for nutrition. I reach the front of the line, grabbing a single slice of bread- the only dinner we are allowed. As I chew the tiny slice, I can sense the dry sourdough bread scratching my throat, like sand paper to wood. The pain that overtakes my body is unbearable, yet the thought of my beating heart that still circulates brings me joy; after all, this could be my last day alive. Standing with my family, we talk of the old days; the days when we were not starving for air or food, the days back in Hellenthal, Germany, â€Å"I miss your cooking, Momma. Your food always makes me happy. † said Lore, with as much breath as her body can allow, for her breath is weak and stained with smoke. She is the youngest in my family, making it hard to explain to her what is happening in her life. Being fifteen, even I understand the serious changes that have been made to our lives. â€Å"I know darling, don't worry. You are here with us. Everything is alright. But you have to understand, life is different now. Things most likely will never return to the way they once were,† my mom's words remind me of the life I will never see again. My body fills of distress. â€Å"Yes, my young Margot, my dear Lore, your mother and I do not plan to leave either of you anytime soon. We are here with you through this, we promise,† my dad agrees as we finish our bread. As I lay in my bunk that night, my thoughts are nothing but hateful, expect for when I think of what my parents told me at dinner, that only fills me with depression. What does Hitler know? All he has created is a world of death. My thoughts only connect to my hatred for him. Why did he do this to us? What have we done to him to deserve such grand torture? As I think of the reasons why he would plan such an event, I feel my body sink into my bunk, falling into an intense slumber, afraid for the next day's events. Praying for another day alive- I fall into a deep sleep that is only due to my over-worked body. ~~~~~~~ As I wake up the next morning, I feel the sun beaming down on my skin. Feeling my body decaying, my skin burns at the sight of the large sun through the wood planks of our prison. Once the entire camp is awake, I hear Franz, the general of our camp scream the words that always send shivers down my spine, â€Å"SELECTION TONIGHT! † he barks to us all, in the harshest tone I have ever heard from him. I feel the entire camps collective gasp. As everyone falls into a fit of worry, I gallop to find Lore through the hundreds of children who ponder their existence. I find my fragile sister huddled in the corner, scared for her life- she is trembling. I run to her aide knowing she needs me at her side. After finding her, the SS guards scream for order and silence. We jump from our places when we hear the barking demands, afraid of the blows that would come from their mallets if they find need to yell again. We both run out together to find mom and dad. Once we found the other remaining members of our family, we wait to find new directions from our camp leaders. â€Å"I wonder what’s going to happen. It always scares me when we have selections. † Lore confesses to us as we wait to be told where to stand. Franz's harsh words brought us unwanted fright throughout the next couple minutes. We are constantly scared for our well-beings, but on the days of selections, our worries triple. Who had I seen for the last time at the factory yesterday? Who from my past life, will be taken to the afterlife? These and many other thoughts rack my brains until I find the ultimate fear: Is this my turn? Will they call my number, and it will be my last day? As the sun light glistens in the distant sky, my family and I decide to pray before the selection begins, but right as my father begins the starting words of the prayer, there is a loud commotion. Thunderous screaming came from Franz and the guards. The selection is beginning earlier then we had expected. We jump into our formation as quickly as possible. I keep Lore close to me, thinking it would help our chances. Mom is being pushed toward the adult women line, and dad is directed over with the men. I feel my heart ripping at the seams. Suddenly, I could feel Lore trembling in my arms, â€Å"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. † I assured her as a bend to whisper in her ear. I pray my words of comfort are correct. Before the selection starts, Franz explains that the ghettos are being completely demolished. He proclaimed that there will be a train departing at the end of selection, leading the selected to a new concentration camp: Auschwitz. We all wonder what horrors or dreams take place this camp. Is it anything like here? There are only two options, Auschwitz or death. Which is better, God? To begin selection, the general screams orders to the men, telling some of them to get on the train, and others to file into another line. That line is the one that no one wants to join, the line that leads to the walk of death. As the women are selected, the anxiousness in my chest begins to race. It is almost our turn. I can’t see what is happening to the adults, and I definitely can’t see my parents anymore. I have no clue where my parents have been sent. The general finishes with the women, and slowing his strides aim towards us, the poor defenseless children. It all happens so quick, everyone is selected at a rapid pace; Lore and I are still in working-shape, so we are sent on the train, lucky to live one more day. Many of our friends have been brought to the train also, which is a blessing. As we settle into our spots on the train, I feel a sharp tug on my ragged t-shirt, it was Lore, â€Å"Where are mommy and daddy? † Her simple and worried question sent me into a downward spiral. Lost in my happiness at surviving, I had forgotten to check on the whereabouts of my parents. Increasing my worry I quickly look around the train, for any sign of them. They aren't here. There aren't anywhere. There were only two lines created at the selection, one for Auschwitz and one for†¦. I suddenly realize where they had vanished to. I feel heart drop to the bottom of my soul: they are gone. Never to be seen again. Never to laugh with again. Never to see their smiling faces when I wake up in the morning. Never to run to them when in need. Never to provide protection. As I realize what the circumstances that surround me, I feel Lore's presence on my side as she waits for an answer. How do I explain to her that she will never see them again? How do I explain that she will never taste the appetizing dishes mom would set on her placemat at dinner? How do I explain she will never play baseball with dad in the yard again? How? But, under my depression, I can't help but feel a glimpse of relief, for my sister and I are still alive and together. As tears stream down my eyes, I realize Lore will always need me at her side. Yet I also know, she must now hear some of the hardest words, she will ever hear. I clear my throat to portray a sense of composure, to tell of the events that have happened within the last twenty minutes. As I begin the tale, the train's horn blows and I can see the sun setting in the distance out the window of the train. Just twenty-four hours ago, I was standing with my parents talking about how they will always be there to help us. Now I’m left in charge. As I build up the courage to take on this new-found responsibility, I feel the train slowly begin our ride, our newest journey, to Auschwitz.

Essay The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown - 2233 Words

The Allegory of Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is an allegory, though an allegory with deficiencies, with tensions existing between the reader and the story. Peter Conn in â€Å"Finding a Voice in an New Nation† explains Hawthorne’s style of allegorizing and how it creates unwanted tensions for the reader: He once planned to call a group of his stories â€Å"Allegories of the Heart,† and in that unused title he summed up much of his method and his subject. His chosen terrain lay between the realms of theology and psychology, and allegory provided the means of his explorations. . . . Where traditional allegory was secured in certitude, however, Hawthorne’s allegorical proceedings yield†¦show more content†¦H. Abrams defines an allegory as a â€Å"narrative, whether in prose or verse, in which the agents and actions, and sometimes the setting as well, are contrived by the author to make coherent sense on the ‘literal,’ or primary, level of signification, and at the same time to signify a second, correlated order of signification† (5). It is quite obvious from the names of the characters in â€Å"Young goodman Brown† that their names are contrived to give a secondary signification. Goodman is on the primary level a simple husband who is fo llowing his curiosity about evil; on the level of secondary signification he is Everyman or the new Adam: R. W. B. Lewis in â€Å"The Return into Rime: Hawthorne† states: Finally, it was Hawthorne who saw in American experience the re-creation of the story of Adam and who . . . exploited the active metaphor of the American as Adam – before and during and after the Fall† (72). Goodman responds in this way to the fellow-traveller when the latter implicates the governor in devilish deeds: Can this be so! cried Goodman Brown, with a stare of amazement at his undisturbed companion. Howbeit, I have nothing to do with the governor and council; they have their own ways, and are no rule for a simple husbandman like me. But, were I to go on with thee, how should I meet the eye of that good old man, our minister, at Salem village? Oh, his voice would make me tremble, both Sabbath-day and lecture-day! So by Goodman’s own words we learnShow MoreRelatedAllegory in Young Goodman Brown Essay1008 Words   |  5 PagesNathaniel Hawthornes short story Young Goodman Brown is an excellent example of an allegory. Allegories use events, characters or symbolism as a bizarre or abstract representation of ideas in the story, and throughout Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne uses a heavy amount of symbolism, as well as his characters and the events of the story line to develop a religious allegory. A large symbolic role is played by protagonist Goodman Browns wife, Faith. Also, the main event in the short story, BrownsRead MoreAllegory And Symbolism In Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown728 Words   |  3 PagesIt is hard to read beyond the third paragraph of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† without finding allegory and symbolism. The opening seems realistic--Goodman Brown, a young Puritan, leaves his home in colonial Salem to take an overnight trip-- but his wifes name, â€Å"Faith,† im mediately suggests a symbolic reading. Before long, Brown’s walk into the dream-like forest seems like an allegorical trip into evil. The idea that Hawthorne shows by this trip is that people are attracted to sin through temptation whichRead MoreSummary On Allegory In Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown867 Words   |  4 Pagesin his â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† story, where evil overcomes and defeats the good. Hawthorne does this by using these allegorical figures Young goodman Brown, Faith, and the old unnamed man. These allegories are put in this story to represent this theory, the innocent thrown into the good versus evil war. The Puritans in this 1600’s era painted men and women as a perfect imaged, well mannered, purified, and religious people. Goodman Brown was no different, as his title implies in this allegory he is theRead MoreAllegory and Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†1203 Words   |  5 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is an excellent example of the use of allegories and symbolism as a form of satire on Puritan faith. According to Frank Preston Stearns, author of The Life and Genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne, â€Å"Hawthorne may have intended this story as an exposure of the inconsistency, and consequent hypocrisy, of Puritanism† (Stearns 181). Throughout the story of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Hawthorne tries to infuse as many symbols and allegories as he can to enhance the overallRead More Deep Allegory in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2351 Words   |  10 PagesDeep Allegory  in Young Goodman Brown  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Herman Melville in â€Å"Hawthorne and His Mosses† (The Literary World August 17, 24, 1850), comments on the deep allegory found within Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† Young Goodman Brown? You would of course suppose that it was a simple little tale, intended as a supplement to Goody Two Shoes. Whereas, it is deep as Dante; nor can you finish it, without addressing the author in his own words--It is yours to penetrate, inRead MoreSymbolism and Allegory in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2297 Words   |  10 Pages   Ã‚   The main characters in Hawthornes story Young Goodman Brown are Goodman Brown, his wife Faith and the stranger who accompanies Goodman Brown in the forest. At the beginning of the story Brown is bidding his wife, Faith farewell at their front door. Taking a lonely route into the forest, he meets an older man who bears a fatherly resemblance to both Brown and the Devil. Later that night Brown discovers to his amazement, that many exemplary villagers are on the same path including, GoodyRead More Essay on Symbols, Symbolism, and Allegory in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown726 Words   |  3 PagesSymbols, Symbolism, and Allegory in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Symbolism is a literary technique that is used to clarify the authors intent. Sometimes it is used to great effect, while other times it only seems to muddle the meaning of a passage. In Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses objects and people as symbols to allegorically reveal his message to the reader. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses different people as symbols throughout Young Goodman Brown. The largest symbolicRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown Analysis876 Words   |  4 PagesHawthorne’s story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† appears to be a story about original sin with a lot of symbolism tied in to make it an allegory. An allegory is a story that can be interpreted in different ways to find the hidden meaning behind the symbolism in the story. The three things focused on throughout the short story is Faith, the forest that Goodman Brown takes his journey through, and the staff, which the old man who leads Goodman Brown on his way carries. The short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† uses severalRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown Essay931 Words   |  4 PagesYoung Goodman Brown: Good versus Evil Throughout Young Goodman Brown and other works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the themes of sin and guilt constantly reoccur. Like many authors, Hawthorne used events in his life as a basis for the stories that he wrote. Hawthorne felt that ones guilt does not die with him/her but is rather passed down through the generations. Hawthornes great-great uncle was one of the judges during the Salem witchcraft trials. Hawthorne felt a great sense of guilt because ofRead MoreWe All Have Evil Inside874 Words   |  4 Pagesbest known for his use of allegorical figures in his short stories. The use of allegories help its readers seek a hidden meaning of an object or character to help them understand their significance to the story. In 1835, Hawthorne wrote the short story of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† where the reader is introduced to an innocent and pure couple who are all about religion and against any evil worshippers. Faith and Goodman Brown will face a diabolic journey to hell, and fig ht against the will of the evil which

Analysis Of Nathaniel s Young Goodman Brown - 1783 Words

Rosse Karely Velez Professor Faucette ENG 123 12 April 2015 Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorn’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† has many symbols that tie to the theme. The symbols take many forms from the settings to the characters. Symbolism is used as a means to discover the truth about some characters. Hawthorne â€Å"placed them (his characters) amid settings and objects that gave symbolic expression to their inward states† (Conn 111). The symbols can be seen as just part of the storyline but when you take a further look and analyze the story they can be seen to represent many different things. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a story about people facing everyday temptation. Hawthorne used setting, internal conflict, and symbols to describe how evil tested Browns faith. Images of darkness, symbolic representations of names and people and the journey through the woods all contribute to Hawthorne s theme of good people sometimes doing bad things. Goodman Brown himself is one of the symbols in this story. â€Å"Wit h the name Goodman Brown, Hawthorne makes his hero a representative character, a kind of Puritan everyman, and so the weakness Hawthorne finds in Brown would apply to Puritans in general†(Predmore 255). In Hawthorne’s story Brown’s name symbolizes youth and nature. His youth suggests that he is yet to be corrupted by the world and is innocent. Brown was a husband who symbolizes goodness and immaturity. He seems to be very religious, happily married and trustworthy. Goodman Brown isShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown 1474 Words   |  6 Pages The works of Nathaniel Hawthorne deal with dark themes and are considered to be the first works of gothic romanticism. While these stories do deal with strong dark elements, these works are also heavily inspired by Puritanism and the Puritan colony at Plymouth. To begin with, the short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† has strong themes of faith. The story is about a man by the name of Brown and his wife Faith. Brown walks into the forest against Faith’s wishes and meets an old man and the two walk deeperRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown 1102 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1835. This was the period around the crazy incidents of the Salem Witch Trials. This piece is covered with topics that can be described as having alternative meanings. Through the symbolism in the story, the audience is able to make ties between the old relationships Goodman Brown had with the other townspeople. The series of event in the story bring him to believe that his entire life was a lie and no one was worthy of his trustRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown 1471 Words   |  6 PagesAustin Barrett Gosia Gabrys English 1110.02 29 September 2015 Testing Faith In the allegorical short story Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses suspense and mystery to keep the reader interested. Throughout the story, Hawthorne makes the reader wonder what all the witchcraft, mysticism, and the double-sided lifestyles of the characters really means. Young Goodman Brown may be suspenseful, but the reader also has to look at it from a symbolic point of view. Hawthorne shows that a strongRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown 1144 Words   |  5 PagesHawthorne s Ideal Woman In Nathaniel Hawthorne s short stories, Young Goodman Brown, The Minister s Black Veil, and The Birthmark, he provides us with female characters with very similar attributes, and they all have the same inhuman acceptance for the men they love. No matter what is thrown at these three unprecedented women they still show a extreme tolerance for their companions. While Goodman Brown, Mr. Hooper, and Aylmer struggle with their own appalling desires, their partners continueRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown Essay1248 Words   |  5 Pagessituations and is able to advise others what to do if one ever encounters something similar. Consequently, Nathaniel Hawthorne was the primary author who influenced me the most because I was able to connect and sympathize with the author. Also, when I attended the academic conference that I was so greatly invited to take a part in, I was able to understand and see the short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† in a new persp ective. Besides understanding that the short story is about society wearing different facesRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown 1136 Words   |  5 PagesMajok Lem Tim McNeil English 95s May 24 2016 Faith versus Evil Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of the short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, he was an American writer in the 19th century. He was born in Salem village, and he died at the age of 60. His short story about a man named Young Goodman Brown, who lived in Salem village with his wife Faith. They have been married three months. Mr. Goodman Brown has left his wife for one travel night although his wife does not want him to go. He insists on leavingRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s `` Young Goodman Brown `` And `` The Yellow Wallpaper ``2005 Words   |  9 Pagesfor a change in their respective eras and cultures. In three particular short stories, namely Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, â€Å"A New England Nun† by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, and lastly Charlotte Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, each individual author speaks out against the established norms of their time in search for moral change. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, he addresses the value of the intense religious culture of that early American time period andRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown1543 Words   |  7 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne s short story of Young Goodman Brown, the author uses symbolism and allegories in order to showcase the Puritan faith as well as man s conflict between good and evil. This analysis will break down the techniques that the author uses to critique the puritan society and to show the difference between how people appear to be in society and the true colors that they are hidden inside of them. There has been a lot of great authors in our time, but none more interesting thanRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown from a Moral Standpoint1352 Words   |  6 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts. At the age of four, his father passed away from yellow fever, forcing his family to move in with his uncle. The positively influential Uncle Robert Manning pushed Hawthorne to succeed in school and insisted he go to college. Following his education at Bowdoin College, Hawthorne spent years in isolation mastering the art of writing. It was during those years when Hawthorne discovered that his ancestors were founders and Puritan leaders of the SalemRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown By Nathaniel Hawthorne1620 Words   |  7 Pages Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne’s work Young Goodman Brown reveals how hard it is in the revelation of the harsh realities of the society.  The society with is characterized by secrecy.   People hide behind the curtains of daily practices and a normal life despite the odd their practices. However, anxiety reveals the realities of people in the community that may come with great prices as for the Nathaniel Hawthorne’s main character Goodman Brown.  Viewing the