Hawthorne Blog

            As Puritans, it is obvious that one of the main elements depicted in the last few readings has been religion, or more specifically, Christianity.  However, Hawthorne’s stories differ from the previous readings.  In all three stories, the Christians and Christianity are reflected upon in a negative light.  In “Young Goodman Brown”, there are townspeople that Brown sees as good, pious Christians, who he finds at the witch meeting.  Goody Cloyse was the person who taught him his catechism, and she recognized the Devil while walking to the meeting.  The deacon Gookin, a man of God, was there as well.  Even Faith, so named for the religion, was in attendance at the witch meeting in the forest.  In the end, it isn’t sure if the meeting was a dream of Brown’s or not, but the idea of the good Christians actually being devil-worshippers turns Goodman Brown into “a stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man…” 

            In “The May-Pole of Merry Mount”, the Christians are depicted as ‘the bad guys’ as well.  “Unfortunately, there were in men in the new world, of a sterner faith than these May-Pole worshippers.  Not far from Merry Mount was a settlement of Puritan, most dismal wretches…”  A party of these Puritans came to a wedding at the May-Pole.  They killed the animals who danced and took prisoner the people, all because it was not their own religion.  “For such as violate our civil order, it may be permitted us to show mercy.  But woe to the wretch that troubleth our religion!” 

            In “The Minister’s Black Veil”, the Christians are once again looked upon in a negative light.  The Reverend Mr. Hooper was ostracized throughout his life, simply because he was wearing a black crape veil over his face, and this scared him.  You’d think, after decades of seeing him wear it, they would get used to it, but no.  He lived his entire life with people looking at him with scorn and terror, because of a veil.  “Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for my black veil?”  There is a line at the end of this story that exemplifies what I believe Hawthorne was trying to say in all three of his stories: I look around me, and lo! on ever visage a black veil!”  Religion, like in the previous readings, is an integral part of the Hawthorne stories.  However, it is not necessarily the good thing that the other writers tried to make it out to be.

A Comparison of the Real Columbus and Casas to Their Acting Counterparts in "Even the Rain"

One of the most interesting aspects I found when comparing the letters of Columbus and Casas to the movie “Even the Rain” was the role switch between Columbus and Casas in the letters, and the actors portraying them in the movie.  In the letters, Columbus was a selfish explorer who saw the Indians as nothing but resources. “They traveled three days’ journey and found an infinity of small hamlets and people without number, but nothing of importance.” “In the interior are mines of metals, and the population is without number.”  In his second letter, all Columbus could do was attempt to manipulate the crown to get himself out of the new world. It did not matter the injustices going on around him; he did not even mention them. Casas was a different case entirely. His letter started with “This is the first land in the New World to be destroyed and depopulated by the Christians…”  He went on to describe how disgustingly the Christians murdered the Indians and exploited them to collect pearls. It is quite a contrast between the two men.

In the movie however, the roles are reversed by the two men acting as Columbus and Casas as they faced the turmoil in the country in which they were filming the movie.  One of the last scenes of the movie is proof of this.  The movie crew had tried to leave the city, and was stuck at a barricade made of army personnel.  While sitting in their van, they witnessed a military man hit a man with his gun and break his neck.  The actor of Casas freaked out and decided it was time to leave; not time to help the prisoners, but time for them to get to the airport.  The actor of Columbus, however, stayed and walked over to the truck where the prisoners were sitting. Despite being told that he couldn’t talk to them, he offered his can of liquid for them to drink. The idea of getting out of the country no matter what was going on was solely with the Casas actor. The actor of Columbus saw the Indians as people, in need of help.