In early American literature the gothic and romantic style is favored. Much like the literature in Europe the writers in American also appreciated literature which involved humans verses human nature. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and Herman Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener”, the theme of free will is often challenged. When reading these works one may ask, “Does a character have free will?” A close reading of both works will determine that neither has true free will. In Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown,” the character Young Goodman Brown does not have freewill because he is controlled by sin. Young Goodman Brown is persistent in his desire to know of evil. Faith attempts ask him to stay, but Young Goodman Brown declines. By refusing Faith, his wife, Goodman also rejects his Christian faith and morals. The Old Man Young Goodman Brown meets in the woods also uses people Brown values to manipulate him. This controls Brown by…show more content… As a scrivener, Bartleby is often asked to complete multiple tasks; his response is “I’d prefer not too.” Bartley cannot be bothered to simply tie a package. This passive aggressive behavior Bartleby exhibits disturbs the narrator; this disturbance causes the narrator to change locations. Nevertheless, the narrator is forces to confront this issue and Bartleby is taken to prison. In prison Bartleby dies as a result as his free will. Bartleby’s desire for free will and “against the grain” way of life is a part of his fate. As Hawthorne and Melville other embody the gothic style of writing, they also create dynamic characters. Both Young Goodman Brown and Bartleby find failure in grasping free will. Young Goodman Brown is engulfed in the power of sin. Throughout Brown’s journey he is warned not only by his wife, but also his Christian morals. Brown’s free will is no match for the manipulation of the
