Reality Versus Fantasy or Perception in Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown and Edgar Allan Poes The
Meroni Nathaniel Hawthorne and his contemporary Edgar Allan Poe were both expert writers that were instrumental in developing the short story form. ... Two well-known short stories by Hawthorne and Poe are “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Fall of the House of Usher”. ... At face value both stories appear to be simply fictional fantasy tales with little or no realistic features. ... Both authors use the guise of fantasy to show the reality of guilt in each of the main character’s lives. Roderick Usher and Goodman Brown each lead delusional, fantastical lives that eventually lead to their Meroni miserable guilt ridden demises. In short, both “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” are not pure fantasy stories but actually tales that show the devastating effects guilt can have on a person’s life. ... The fact that Goodman Brown is not sure if he dreamt the whole event and that Roderick Usher is absolutely convinced that the “curse” is real have no effect on the devastating outcomes for the two.