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AbigailStigers
Ms.Oberg
English11
November21,2014
YoungGoodmanBrown
Rhetoricaldevicesareaveryimportantpartforeverydayuse,especiallyin
literature.InNathanielHawthornesYoungGoodmanBrown,heusesagoodamountof
rhetoricaldevices,andsomemorethanothers.Althoughtheyarenteasilyspottedin
everydayuseorliterature,thesedevicesarealwaystheretosetthestoryup,and
keepingthestorymovingforward.
Foreshadowinggivesthereadersomeinsightaboutwhatmayhappeninthe
nearfutureofthebook,butthereadermaynotrealizeituntilfartherinthebook.
Hawthorneusesthisdevicemanytimesintheearlierpagesofhisstory,especiallyin
thefirstpage,whenthemaincharacter,YoungGoodmanBrown,iswithhiswife,Faith.
WhenYoungGoodmanBrownisgoingoffonajourneyintothewoods,hiswifesaysto
him:Andmayyoufindallwellwhenyoucomeback(Hawthorne1).WhenYoung
GoodmanBrowncomesbackfromhisjourney,hedoesnotfindallwell,especially
withinhimself.Nothinghaschangedinhissmalltown,buthehaschanged,becauseof
whathappenedinthewoods.
Anotherexampleofforeshadowingisthewitchesanddevils,sacrificesandloss,
andallbecausehedidntlistentohiswifewhenshepleadedhimnottogo.Beforehe
leaves,YoungGoodmanBrownthinkstohimself:WhatawretchamItoleaveheron


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suchanerrand!Shetalksofdreams,too.Methoughtasshespoketherewastroublein
herface,asifadreamhadwarnedherwhatworkistobedonetonight(Hawthorne1).
Afterhethinksthis,hesaystohimself,thatallisgood,anditwouldkillFaithtothink
suchathingbecausesheissuchanangelontheearthandafterthiserrandhewould
followhertoheaven.Andheisrighttothinksuchathing,becausesheherselfwillgo
onanerrandthatnight,anditdoesalmostkillhertothinksuchthings.BothYoung
GoodmanBrownandhiswife,Faith,havemadedealswiththedevil.Whatifthedevil
himselfshouldbeatmyveryelbow(Hawthorne1).YoungGoodmanBrownsaysthis
asheisenteringtheforest,becauseheandthedevilagreedtomeetthere.Young
GoodmanBrownisnervousaboutmeetingthedevilinthewoods,becausetherecould
beanIndianwaitingbehindeverytree.
Imageryisgivingthereaderanideaorapictureofthescenethattheauthoris
writingabout.Hawthorneusesthisrhetoricaldevice,multipletimesthroughouthisstory.
MostlywithYoungGoodmanBrownwhenheisinthewoodsonhiserrand.Whileheis
walkingtowardsthemeetingplacewiththedevil,Hawthornedescribeshisroadinthis
way:Hehadtakenadrearyroad,darkenedbyallthegloomiesttreesoftheforest,
whichbarelystoodasidetoletthenarrowpathcreepthrough,andclosedimmediately
behind(Hawthorne1).Thepathisverycreepy,andnotmanywouldtakeitunless
daringenough.ButYoungGoodmanBrownmaynotbedaringbutheneedstoinorder
tobeontimeforhismeetingwiththedevil.Themeetingturnsintoasacrifice,andwhile
YoungGoodmanBrownisconfused,hiswifecomesintotheclearingwithhim.He
realizesitisasacrificeashelooksaround:Theyturnedandflashingforth,asitwere,


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inasheetofflame,thefiendworshipperswereseenthesmileofwelcomegleamed
darklyoneveryvisage(Hawthorne8).Everyoneistherefromtownsfarandwide,and
onesfromhisowntown.Someheknowsaspeoplehisgrandfatheraccusedofbeing
witches.HawthornedescribesYoungGoodmanBrownssurroundingsasanaltarwith
candles:Atoneextremityofanopenspace,hemmedinbythedarkwalloftheforest,
arosearock,bearingsomerude,naturalresemblanceeithertoanaltarorapulpit,and
surroundedbyfourblazingpines,theirtopsaflame,theirstemsuntouched,likecandles
ataneveningmeeting(Hawthorne7).AsYoungGoodmanBrownlooksaroundatthis
scene,hesortofknows,thatthisisntgoingtoendwell,buthestillhashope.Heisnt
surewhattodo,sohestandstherelookingaroundatthefaces,thecandles,andaltar.
Foreshadowingandimageryarehugerhetoricaldevices,becausetheyplay
largepartsineverydayuse,andliterature.Becauseforeshadowinggivesthereaderan
ideaofwhatcouldhappenlateroninthestory.Whileimagerygivesthereaderanidea
ofthescenethattheauthorispainting.Whilebothmaybehardtoidentifyrightaway,
theybothsetupthestoryverywell,andNathanielHawthorneusesbothforeshadowing
andimagerytokeephisstorymovingforward.


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WorksCited
Hawthorne,NathanielYoungGoodmanBrownThenewEnglandMagazine1835