Ambiguity In Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown - 1485 Words

Literary translation seeks to recreate an original work in a new language using the tools available in the target language. In order to recreate a story, the translator must first interpret its meaning. This proves to be a challenge as the nature of literary works is such that they often lend themselves to multiple interpretations, either due to deliberate or unintentional ambiguity in the text. In the case of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown, the author crafted a complex story filled with ambiguity. What are, then, translators to do when faced with the momentous task of translating an important piece of American literature like Young Goodman Brown? They must undoubtedly turn to literary criticism, which seeks to produce in-depth†¦show more content†¦If the translator is unaware of the multifunctionality of the name, he or she will not be able to recreate it in the target text. If â€Å"Goodman† is kept in the original English, the target audience migh t perceive it as a first name. Furthermore, the repetition of the word â€Å"good† in the language understood by the reader will be lost, and so the irony will not be reinforced every time the word â€Å"Goodman† is encountered. In Spanish, for example, translating â€Å"Goodman† as buen hombre (good man), which is a form of address used for a kind and honest man, would allow the character to be every man, as he would bear no first name. Furthermore, by allowing readers to have access to the repetition of the word â€Å"good† in their language, they are being granted the opportunity to find the sense of irony for themselves. The Puritan preoccupation with Good and Evil manifested itself in the religion’s condemnation of witchcraft. Hawthorne uses uncountable references to witchcraft and its association with â€Å"sexuality, debauchery and carnal abandon† (Hoffman 163). One example of sexual imagery comes from the speech of the sable figure leading the witch’s sabbath in the forest. The figure uses the words â€Å"bed-chamber,† â€Å"stain,† â€Å"blood,† â€Å"penetrate,† bosom,† and â€Å"sin† to talk about man’s evilShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Ambiguity in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown1587 Words   |  7 PagesThe Ambiguity in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†      Ã‚  Ã‚     The literary critics agree that there is considerable ambiguity in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† This essay intends to illustrate the previous statement and to analyze the cause of this ambiguity.    Henry James in Hawthorne, when discussing â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† comments on how imaginative it is, then mentions how allegorical Hawthorne is, and how allegory should be expressed clearly:    I frankly confess that I haveRead More Ambiguity and Uncertainty in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown1512 Words   |  7 PagesAmbiguity and Uncertainty in Young Goodman Brown   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne, through the use of deceptive imagery, creates a sense of uncertainty that illuminates the theme of mans inability to operate within a framework of moral absolutism.   Within every man there is an innate difference between good and evil and Hawthornes deliberate use of ambiguity mirrors this complexity of human nature. 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