Allegory and Puritanism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s "Young Goodman Brown"

Set in Salem around the time of the Salem witch trials, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s "Young Goodman Brown" follows the titular character as he decides and embarks on an ambiguous journey into the dark forest. The story explores Goodman Brown’s inner conflict regarding his religious beliefs, and in this manner reveals Hawthorne’s own skepticism towards the Puritan beliefs of his ancestors. This paper will discuss how "Young Goodman Brown" works as a religious allegory, and will address the idea that Brown is an ‘Everyman’ figure whose downfall occurs as a result of, and in reflection of, Hawthorne’s own critical attitude towards the legacy of the Puritan faith.

Woland: Villain, Vague, Vain?”

An exploration of the Satan character, Woland, in The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. Woland comes to Russia to enact chaos and confusion on the materialist humans. He does not come to steal souls or cause eternal suffering. I argue that, as such, he is an unusual depiction of the evil and one whose goals are more ambiguous. Rather than being God’s stark opposite, he is a part of the divine, or a tool of God’s justice. He acts as an employee and helper to the divine to expose materialism, hypocrisy, and truth in early 20th century Moscow. Bulgakov's novel aptly exposes human-caused suffering, greed, and the falseness of binary thinking. Instead of thinking of Satan as being God’s opposite, the text describes him as God’s needed force, one that works with him to make the world function.

Understanding Religion Through Good Omens' Satire

Throughout Good Omens, Gaiman and Pratchett examine biblical figures and events through the lens of comedy. More specifically, through a combination of absurdist, fatalist, and classic British humor. Gaiman in particular is well-regarded in the literary landscape for his works that view biblical figures through a more modern lens (sometimes in a humorous context, sometimes not, with Good Omens being the former). The end result is well-written religious satire. However, comedy and satire are often panned by literary critics as being a lowbrow form of literature. So this begs the question: does Good Omens, an example of a work examining biblical themes in a comedic way, have the same literary merit as works that explore biblical themes in a non-comedic way? This is closely intertwined with the more general question: are works of biblical and religious satire viewed as inappropriate by literary critics and readers (which may be the source of comedy’s bad rap in literary criticism). I argue that comedy possesses just as much literary merit as works that take a more serious approach. By using sources that examine Good Omens, Gaiman and Pratchett, as well as the history of religious satire (including works by authors such as Mark Twain), I am contributing an examination that discusses the relative merits of satirical vs. dramatic literary works. An analysis of how notions of appropriateness have contributed to the unfair characterization of comedy as having less literary worth. I am also providing support for the conclusion that biblical satire is a worthy literary form. While my sources are literary criticism, the analysis used applies equally to the book and TV series as they follow the same structure.  

A Look at What Damned Faustus, Irrevocably

In Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, we see Faustus sell his soul to gain knowledge, and then not use the knowledge to save himself through the act of repentance. During the past, many have noted that Faustus’ desire for knowledge is what damned him irrevocably. With that said, Marlowe’s work makes us question if it was knowledge or his failure to use what he learned that damned Faustus. Furthermore, Marlowe is saying that if one does not choose to use what one has learned- it is sinful. This paper will examine why Faustus’ failure to learn and the choices he made or neglected to make are what actually damned his soul. 

Switched Narratives: Trusting Demons and Questioning Angels

My thesis topic for the capstone paper was on why human characters in short stories are more likely to trust angels and demons, if the angel or demon appears to the human in the form of an old human. My argument to prove this point is that elderly people are typically portrayed as seeming more wise, trustworthy, or harmless beings. Among my other research on this topic, I used the short stories "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne and "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" by Gabriel García Márquez that we read in class.

Forever Automaton: Is Death Just Rebirth into Servitude?

My research paper focuses on the question of free-will and religion, and whether or not death is just a rebirth into servitude rather than a release. By analyzing the depictions of Hell in Dante’s Inferno and examining the character of Lucifer from the Lucifer comics, I plan to pick apart how the concept of death is normally used as a transition rather than a final state, and how we inevitably lose our autonomy as a result, and that perhaps not even Lucifer himself can escape this horrible fate.

“Her lips suck forth my soul”: The Significance and Symbolism of Helen of Troy in Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus

Christopher Marlowe’s play, Doctor Faustus, tells the story of the titular character’s deal with the devil and subsequent descent into Hell. In the penultimate scene, Faustus requests to spend his last moments of life with the iconic Helen of Troy, famous for once being the most beautiful woman on Earth, as well as the cause of the Trojan War. Although Helen herself never speaks, her presence is clearly significant to the character of Faustus and the larger narrative. Building upon critical responses to Helen’s role in this scene, as well as various depictions of Helen of Troy that might have influenced Marlowe’s creation, I will argue that Helen serves as a powerful symbol of temptation bringing about a hero’s great downfall.

Lucifer, Khan, and the influence of Paradise Lost on Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

John Milton’s Paradise Lost has by far the most iconic and influential depiction of Satan in literary history. In the epic, Satan demonstrates resentment of being cast out, and uses his ill-feelings as a fuel for revenge against God and therein, his attempt to conquer Heaven as he rules Hell. Other works have taken influence from these and other characteristics of Satan, such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and multiple interpretations of the hit sci-fi franchise, Star Trek. This paper will be examining the influences the character of Satan and Paradise Lost had on the character of Khan in his appearances in both Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

A Look Into the Evolution of Lucifer: From Brute to Desirable

My research paper, I focused on the Lucifer Comic by Mike Carey and Neil Gaiman. My paper addressed the way the devil is portrayed in pop culture such as appealing, suave and desirable instead of a brute monster. My paper also addressed the history of how the devil was portrayed in the past for comparison. My paper discussed whether or not portraying the devil as suave and sophisticated makes us want to be more like him or makes it easier to be susceptible to committing evil acts.

Why do Angels fall from Grace? Autonomy versus God’s Will

Why do angels fall? It is common knowledge that Lucifer fell from God’s grace because of his pride. Yet, did he truly sin of his own free will, or was it God’s plan all along for him to sin? In texts such as John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Mike Carey’s Lucifer, the devil is depicted as a trickster; however, we see evidence that Lucifer is simply a reflection of our human desires and placed in a role by God. By comparing the character of Lucifer to Milton’s Satan, I plan to examine why angels fall from grace, and why proximity to humans causes some angels to sin, or inspire human emotions within them. 

Women’s Bodies as Vessels for Male Desire: Looking at Demonic Narratives Through a Feminist Lens

Feminist culture and identification can lead us to findings where women’s bodies are depicted as “evil,” or “monstrous,” and often valued only as a vessel used for male desire. My argumentative question for this paper will be focusing on this as follows: Why is there such a  fear of women’s bodies, and some imaginary ‘demonic power’ they may possess? If we believe some of the stories we have read this semester, a follow-up question would be: Does the devil give women this power, or is it simply a rendering that’s their own? Using historical texts and witchcraft trial documents from the early modern world, I will show how the stories of devilish seduction and women giving birth to demons offer us a glimpse into longstanding cultural anxiety over female desire and embodiment.