Young Goodman Brown

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." The Story and Its Writer : An Introduction to Short Fiction. Ed. Ann Charters. New York: St. Martin's P, 2002. 633-42.

The story begins with Goodman Brown leaving his wife, Faith, to go meet a “presence” in a dark forest. He comes face to face with a being that is perceived by the reader as the “devil.” He then witnesses a ritual in the forest and is unsure of whether he should be repulsed or join in. Upon further investigation of the ritual, he is shocked to see various people from his village partaking in the ceremony and is especially shocked when he sees his own wife. He finally gives in and is about to enter the ritual, but before doing so he cries out for salvation. After a quick flash he finds himself alone next to rock in a calm and dark forest. His outlook on life changes dramatically and he lives as a recluse for the rest of his life. Hawthorne never expands on whether the experience is dream or reality.

The theme of the story exhibits a struggle one has with darkness. The protagonist goes into the forest with a relative naïve mind not knowing what to expect. He feels strong and imbedded in his faith. The devil points out Goodman Brown’s flaw of believing that people in his village are good and alludes to the fact that instead of being servants of God they are in reality serving evil. After his encounter, Goodman cuts ties with his neighbors and discontinues his relationship with his wife. He lives the rest of his life in gloom, shrouded with darkness.

The Scream

Munch, Edvard. The Scream. 1893-1910. Expressionist, National Gallery of Norway, Oslo, Norway.

The various colors of the painting create a dramatic image that depicts an intense mood. The greens and the reds exemplify chaos and disorder, which reinforces the expression of the figure. The figure itself stands as an emaciated individual with no defined gender. The character stands on a bridge clutching its ears; its eyes and mouth wide open with an expression of fear and anguish. The green hue of the face and the grey color of the clothing emphasize sickness and illustrate the psychotic state the character is in. The red sky in the background further creates a sense of alarm and intensifies the character’s emotion.

Though not apparent at first, the painting ties well with the overall theme. The artist of the painting, Edvard Munch, provides observers with an insight of his own tortured soul. Munch suffered the deaths of many of his family members and the darkness created by his pain bled into his painting. The character in the painting is falling into a dark abyss. The scream is the character’s last defense before being consumed by darkness.

O Fortuna

Orff, Carl. Orff: O Fortuna. Perf. Jansug Kakhidze. Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra. HDC, 1999.

"O Fortuna" is an excerpt of the larger work called Carmina Burana, which is a collection of poems written in the 13^th century. The German composer Carl Orff modernized the selection in the 1930’s and created one of the most famous movements in modern history.

This selection of music really fits well the overall theme of darkness. Reading the song’s translation in English, one can note the apparent struggle that is being depicted. The tone is very dark and foreboding and in the rhythm an aura of darkness can be imagined.

O Fortuna O Fortune,
velut luna like the moon
statu variabilis, you are changeable,
semper crescis ever waxing
aut decrescis; and waning;
vita detestabilis hateful life
nunc obdurat first oppresses
et tunc curat and then soothes
ludo mentis aciem, as fancy takes it;
egestatem, poverty
potestatem and power
dissolvit ut glaciem. it melts them like ice.
Sors immanis Fate - monstrous
et inanis, and empty,
rota tu volubilis, you whirling wheel,
status malus, you are malevolent,
vana salus well-being is vain
semper dissolubilis, and always fades to nothing,
obumbrata shadowed
et velata and veiled
michi quoque niteris; you plague me too;
nunc per ludum now through the game
dorsum nudum I bring my bare back
fero tui sceleris. to your villainy.
Sors salutis Fate is against me
et virtutis in health
michi nunc contraria, and virtue,
est affectus driven on
et defectus and weighted down,
semper in angaria. always enslaved.
Hac in hora So at this hour
sine mora without delay
corde pulsum tangite; pluck the vibrating strings;
quod per sortem since Fate
sternit fortem, strikes down the string man,
mecum omnes plangite! everyone weep with me!

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Stevenson, Robert L. Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. London: Longman., 1886.

Robert Louis Stevenson's inspiration for Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde came from his repeated nightmares of living a double life. In the novel, a grotesque almost animalistic man named Mr. Hyde wreaks havoc on London by night while a respected physician named Dr. Jekyll always repairs the damage. As the novel progresses, the reader can note that the Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll are the same person but with reversed personalities. Dr. Jekyll attempts to separate the good and the dark sides of a person but in doing so, he creates a form devoid of all moral consciousness. At first he welcomes the changes and enjoys the freedom. As he starts involuntarily changing without the aid of a potion, Dr. Jekyll seeks to put an end to Mr. Hyde. He soon realizes that he cannot over power his darker form which leads to him committing suicide.

The project’s theme is very prevalent throughout the novel. Dr. Jekyll did not know the cursed journey he embarked on when he first drank the potion. His fight with darkness proved too much for him and before allowing himself to be consumed completely by darkness, he decided to claim his own life.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Dir. Tim Burton. Perf. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham, and Carter Alan Rickman. Film. 2007.

The film begins with Sweeney Todd returning home to London after spending years abroad in a prison for a crime he didn’t commit. While his friend, Anthony, sings about the wonders of London, Todd speaks of man’s cruelty. He tells a story of his past of how he was a young foolish barber who had a beautiful wife and daughter and how a judge sent him away for life on a false charge so he could have his family. He meets a woman named Mrs. Lovett who tells the ill fate of his wife and reunites him with his old shaving razors. Todd is then thrown into a violent downward spiral of rage and vengeance and starts a murder spree along with Mrs. Lovett which culminates into disaster.

Upon hearing the fate of his family, Todd’s struggle with darkness ends. He completely consumes himself with darkness, clouding any judgment he makes. Though he eventually exacts revenge on those who wronged him, he inadvertently kills his wife who was still alive. His anger and remorse continues to grow and after realizing all the damage he has created, he allows himself to be killed knowing that he deserves death.