Literary Devices Found in HAwthorne's Writings
Literary Device - Foreshadowing: Georgiana’s death
Rationale for selection: In The Birthmark, Georgiana’s death is foreshadowed as she continues to say that she wants the mark off of her face not matter the cost. “‘[L]et the attempt be made at whatever risk. Danger is nothing to me; for life, while this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror and disgust, - life is a burden which I would fling down with joy Either remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life!’” (The Birthmark, 336) When she says this, she doesn’t actually realize that the cost will ultimately be her death. As the reader, though, we are able to see through this and the different attempts that are made by Aylmer that she is going to die. Then once again we can see her death coming when he falls into a deep sleep and says that her “earthly senses are closing over my spirit” (The Birthmark, 342).
Literary Device – Situational Irony: Goodman Brown’s happy return to his community
Rationale for selection: I expected that Goodman Brown was going to have a happy return to his wife he says, “of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee. My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done…” (Young Goodman Brown, 315). When I read that I thought that he was going to make it back from his trip just fine and that they would live happily ever after. I especially thought this after reading the other two stores and thinking that there had to be a good ending in one of these stories. The story doesn’t seem like it is going to be sad and that his trip is going to completely change his mindset but it definitely ends sad when he ignores wife after he does arrive back home. So yes, he does make it back, but he doesn’t exactly return to his community and wife in a happy way but with a new lense.
Rationale for selection: In The Birthmark, Georgiana’s death is foreshadowed as she continues to say that she wants the mark off of her face not matter the cost. “‘[L]et the attempt be made at whatever risk. Danger is nothing to me; for life, while this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror and disgust, - life is a burden which I would fling down with joy Either remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life!’” (The Birthmark, 336) When she says this, she doesn’t actually realize that the cost will ultimately be her death. As the reader, though, we are able to see through this and the different attempts that are made by Aylmer that she is going to die. Then once again we can see her death coming when he falls into a deep sleep and says that her “earthly senses are closing over my spirit” (The Birthmark, 342).
Literary Device – Situational Irony: Goodman Brown’s happy return to his community
Rationale for selection: I expected that Goodman Brown was going to have a happy return to his wife he says, “of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee. My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done…” (Young Goodman Brown, 315). When I read that I thought that he was going to make it back from his trip just fine and that they would live happily ever after. I especially thought this after reading the other two stores and thinking that there had to be a good ending in one of these stories. The story doesn’t seem like it is going to be sad and that his trip is going to completely change his mindset but it definitely ends sad when he ignores wife after he does arrive back home. So yes, he does make it back, but he doesn’t exactly return to his community and wife in a happy way but with a new lense.
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