course material

1. Citing specifics, explain how Hawthorne’s dark romanticist message is
reflected
CASE STUDYHenry David Thoreau’s positive, transcendentalist view of human nature in
Walden contrasts sharply with Nathaniel Hawthorne’s perspective. In the chapter “Where I
Lived and What I Lived for,”Thoreau discusses humankind’s potential to become fully
“awake,” describing the moral, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of being awake in a long
passage that associates it with morning, and later suggesting practical benefits in his brief,
punning comments on “sleepers.” Focusing upon the “morning” and the “sleeper” passages
in the chapter (give discussion of each its own paragraph(s)), contrast Thoreau’s optimistic
view of human nature and human possibilities with Hawthorne’s darker perspective in
“Young Goodman Brown.” The story allegorically reflects the features of dark romanticism,
representing in its symbolism the tendencies of the so-called “good man” to think and act in
ways that subvert his own happiness.Citing specifics, explain how Hawthorne’s dark
romanticist message is reflected in the allegory and in Hawthorne’s description of Goodman
Brown’s uncertain perceptions at certain points in the story.In each section, you will make
two critical points that reflect the focus above. Support each critical point with two direct
quotations.