Thematic Development in "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Most Dangerous Game"

Introduction

The conflict between good and evil is one that appears throughout literature, and it plays a significant role in two seemingly divergent short stories: "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Most Dangerous Game." In both stories, the protagonists come up against evil antagonists — one in the form of a man who hunts human beings, and the other in the form of the Devil. Furthermore, in both stories the encounters with evil change the protagonists. However, while Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" and Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game" both feature the same basic theme of good vs. evil, the additional themes that each author employs serve to differentiate them in a significant way. Hawthorne's story suggests that evil can corrupt even a successful protagonist, while Connell suggests that his protagonist is transformed into a more empathetic person after his encounter with evil.

Contrasting Themes in Each Story

While the conflict between good and evil may be the overriding theme in both stories, each contains a number of secondary themes that the authors use to help demonstrate the protagonists' struggles with evil. In "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne uses the idea of community and social interactions to frame the story. Not only is Brown aware of his role in the community, but he is also very cognizant of how his friends and neighbors impact it. Hawthorne also uses the past and nostalgia as a theme, showing Goodman Brown remembering various community members in different capacities and reflecting on how he is the same or different from those who came before him.

One of Hawthorne's most effective themes, however, is his treatment of the nature of reality. Ultimately, the reader — like Goodman Brown — is left wondering whether Brown actually witnessed those things in the wood or whether they were products of his imagination. Whether or not they were real, Brown allows those visions to shape and change how he views the people around him, which in turn affects how he views himself. In the battle between good and evil, the real evil that Brown confronts is the evil in his own soul, and he is unable to defeat it.

Given that Connell chooses not to allow evil to corrupt his protagonist, it should come as no surprise that he uses different themes to explore the same conflict in "The Most Dangerous Game." The overriding theme is that of the hunter and the contrast between predator and prey. At the beginning of the story, Rainsford tells Whitney: "The world is made up of two classes — the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are hunters" (Connell, 1924). Connell also employs violence as a theme. Both Rainsford and General Zaroff are violent men, but their violence has a different context, leaving the reader to ponder whether violence should be equated with evil. Fear is another important theme: Rainsford learns what it is to feel the fear of death and pain that Whitney described at the beginning of the story, and this fear motivates him not only to escape Zaroff's plan to kill him, but also to kill Zaroff himself. To defeat Zaroff, Rainsford must also battle with nature — first surviving the swim to the island, then using the island against Zaroff. Unlike Brown's ordeal, Rainsford's conflict is not an internal one; it is a battle of skill between two men, and Rainsford emerges triumphant.

The Impact of Evil on Each Protagonist

As these differing themes make clear, while the protagonists of both stories fight against something that can be seen as evil, it impacts them in very different ways. At the beginning of the stories, Goodman Brown seems a much better and kinder man than Sanger Rainsford. Brown kisses his wife goodbye and appears to be a contented man with a stable life. In contrast, Rainsford is not only en route to a trophy hunting destination but genuinely does not care whether the animals he hunts experience fear or pain. Both men confront evil, but in different forms. Rainsford defeats Zaroff and, through the experience, gains empathy for the animals he once hunted. Brown, by contrast, seems to repel the Devil's tempting offers by turning to God, yet he emerges from the experience embittered, angry, and suspicious.

Conclusion

In both short stories the protagonists encounter evil antagonists that test their self-image. Goodman Brown believes that his walk into the forest — which may be a metaphor for entertaining the idea of sin — is one that no one else in his close-knit and pious community has contemplated. He considers himself an outsider for even entertaining the company of the Devil. When his beliefs about his community are challenged, he retains the identity of outsider, allowing his new knowledge of his friends and neighbors to alter his own behavior; he becomes an angry and bitter man. In contrast, Rainsford begins the story with the self-image of a skilled hunter who cares little for his prey and does not believe animals are even capable of feeling fear. His encounter with Zaroff turns him into prey rather than predator, and he experiences immense fear. This changes his view of himself, and he becomes empathetic toward the animals he once hunted.

While the reader does not know whether this change will persist after Rainsford kills Zaroff, all indications suggest that his experience will have a positive impact on him for the rest of his life. Therefore, although both stories examine the concept of good vs. evil, Hawthorne appears to suggest that evil works within an individual to corrupt a person, while Connell suggests that an encounter with evil can produce a positive transformation.

Connell, R. (1924). The Most Dangerous Game. Fiction: The E-Server Collection. Retrieved August 28, 2014, from Eserver website:

Hawthorne, N. (1835). Young Goodman Brown. The Literature Network. Retrieved August 28, 2014, from Online-Literature.com website: