Hawthorne and Melville: Allegory, Faith, and Narrative Contrasts
This essay compares the use of allegory, religious themes, and narrative structure in the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville, focusing on “Young Goodman Brown” (1835) and Moby-Dick (1851) respectively. These two authors, both central to the American Renaissance, shared a concern with moral and philosophical questions but approached them through different literary strategies.
Literary Backgrounds and Influences
On the one hand, Hawthorne (1804–1864), born in Salem and descended from Puritan magistrates, was preoccupied with guilt, sin, and the legacy of Puritanism. His fiction often reflects this inherited tension through concise, symbolic tales that expose moral ambiguity.
On the other hand, Melville (1819–1891) lived a life shaped by travel and hardship, including years at sea that deeply influenced his writing. Though initially known for exotic adventure tales, Melville’s most ambitious work, Moby-Dick, reveals a mature philosophical skepticism and stylistic experimentation.
Despite their differences, the two writers met and admired each other. Their work demonstrates both confluence—a shared interest in symbolism—and contrast, particularly in how they handle meaning, belief, and narrative form.
Allegory: Direct vs. Ambiguous
One of the clearest points of comparison is their use of allegory, a mode both writers employed to explore abstract ideas through narrative.
Hawthorne’s Structured Allegory in “Young Goodman Brown”
In Hawthorne’s case, “Young Goodman Brown” presents a direct and structured allegory grounded in Christian morality. The protagonist’s name—Goodman Brown—immediately signals his role as an “everyman,” and the journey into the forest becomes a symbolic descent into temptation and spiritual crisis. Characters such as Faith and the Devil clearly stand for moral absolutes and spiritual tests. The story functions as a traditional moral allegory, using transparent symbols to critique the dangers of strict Puritan belief and the fragility of faith.
Melville’s Expansive Allegory in Moby-Dick
By contrast, Melville’s allegory in Moby-Dick is expansive and ambiguous. While Captain Ahab’s hunt for the white whale may symbolize man’s struggle against fate, evil, or the divine, it resists fixed interpretation. Melville deliberately leaves the whale’s meaning open-ended, and through Ishmael’s voice, he questions the very act of symbolic reading. Therefore, whereas Hawthorne’s allegory leads to a moral lesson, Melville’s allegory emphasizes the limits of human understanding and invites multiple interpretations.
Religious and Theological Themes
Religious and theological themes deeply influence both authors, but their treatment diverges significantly.
Hawthorne’s Critique of Puritanism
In Hawthorne’s story, religion is portrayed as both foundational and psychologically oppressive. The narrative critiques Puritan doctrines such as predestination and exposes the hypocrisy of seemingly pious individuals. Goodman Brown’s spiritual crisis emerges from the realization that evil permeates even the most righteous members of his community. Consequently, he loses his faith—both in God and in humanity—and lives out his days in alienation.
Melville’s Cosmic Skepticism
In contrast, Melville uses Calvinist concepts like original sin and depravity as philosophical questions rather than fixed beliefs. Through Ishmael’s musings and Ahab’s obsession, Moby-Dick explores existential doubt and the inscrutability of divine justice. While Hawthorne interrogates religious dogma within a confined moral and historical framework, Melville pushes the discussion into cosmic and metaphysical territory, portraying God—or nature—as an enigmatic and potentially indifferent force.
Narrative Structure and Artistic Priorities
Their narrative structures further reveal contrasting artistic priorities.
Hawthorne’s Concise, Unified Structure
Hawthorne prefers a concise, unified structure typical of the short story form. His use of language is symbolically dense, and his stories move with narrative precision from exposition to resolution. The structure of “Young Goodman Brown” supports its moral clarity and thematic focus.
Melville’s Sprawling, Polyphonic Novel
In contrast, Melville constructs Moby-Dick as a sprawling, polyphonic novel that incorporates elements of epic, drama, sermon, and philosophical treatise. The multiplicity of voices and genres mirrors the complexity of his themes. Thus, while Hawthorne seeks economy and coherence, Melville embraces digression and multiplicity as a reflection of his broader metaphysical concerns.
Conclusion: Distinct Yet Intersecting Approaches
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville both use allegory to address profound moral and spiritual questions, yet their methods reveal significant differences. Hawthorne crafts concise, didactic allegories rooted in Puritan tradition and psychological realism. Melville creates vast, ambiguous symbolic worlds that reflect his philosophical skepticism and narrative innovation. Their shared use of religious motifs and symbolic depth demonstrates a literary confluence, but their contrasting styles and purposes highlight the richness and diversity of American literature during the 19th century. Ultimately, through their distinct yet intersecting approaches, both authors compel readers to confront the uncertainties of belief, morality, and meaning.