Research Paper on what influence the Salem Witch Hunts had on

On what influence the Salem Witch Hunts had on Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story Young Goodman Brown (1835) - Research Paper Example One of the major inspirations that the Salem Witch Hunt had on Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† was the connection that Hawthorne himself had with some of the people involved in the witch hunt. One of Hawthorne’s distant relatives on his father’s side, John Hathorne, was the primary judge in the accusing and condemning of supposed witches throughout the hunt and in the trials that proceeded (Moore 37-38). Knowing that Hawthorne was related to some of the people involved in the hunting of these people, Hawthorne wanted to learn all that he could about the events. The research that ensued resulted in Hawthorne compiling ideas, all of which were drawn from historical sources, for what would eventually become â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. Similarly, being related by blood to some of the witch hunt’s lead players, Hawthorne felt a connection, though rather detached, with the mass hysteria that the witch hunt brought. Hawthorne essentially want ed to have an involvement in the historical event, and this prompted him to write. Hawthorne’s blood ties to the Salem Witch Hunt allowed him to be more intimate with his short story and its characters. By looking at records that were kept during the time of the witch hunt, such as those that dealt with the judges and the lives of those accused of witchcraft and then condemned, Hawthorne was able to submerge himself into a unique story that played on fiction while remaining true to historical facts. In a sense, Hawthorne was able to live out the trials though the protagonist of his short story, Goodman Brown; this act was able to be undergone due to the records and the familial connections that Hawthorne possessed. Hawthorne, through his resources and then through his characters, was able to shed new light on what took place during the witch hunt. The fact that Hawthorne had access to such astounding resources is part of what influenced his writing of the short story. Without the resources, the story, if at all written, would have just been another piece of fiction. Hawthorne also used the names of many of the condemned witches for his short story, which further connects his fiction with the great historical event. The names that Hawthorne used were found in the records and other documents that contained the names of people that were being tried for practicing witchcraft. Again, given the fact that one of his own relatives played a vital role in the witch hunt, Hawthorne was influenced by this personal connection of having known someone, which prompted him to use the names of real suspects. This would make the fictional story seem more lifelike, giving it an element of reality. By doing this, despite the fact that the short story was indeed fictional, the use of suspects’ real names gives the story some truth to it. Though Hawthorne was unable to witness the events of the witch hunt, including the rituals performed by the witches that he elaborat ed on in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, he was able to add to history by combining his own creativity with the historical facts that he already had. Hawthorne had been inspired by the facts of history, more specifically the names of the suspects, and combined them with his own creative elements. The