Analysis Of The Book ' Young Goodman Brown And Other Hawthorne Short Stories '

"Young Goodman Brown," a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, should be interpreted on a psychoanalytical level rather than a religious one. It is my observation that "Young Goodman Brown" may very well be the first published work alluding to divisions of the mind and personality theory. Although religion is a direct theme throughout the story, "Young Goodman Brown" appears to be an allegory with deeper meanings.

Taking a trip to the forest, Brown discovers the truth that there is evil in all individuals realizing all that he had once thought to be true was a lie. After that one night, whether it was a dream or not, his ideas were set in stone. Because of the discovery in the forest, he believes that once a sin has been committed, one is automatically evil. As

     Goodman Brown is tempted by his fellow traveler, who is most definitely an advocate of the devil, or the devil in another form, to come deeper into the forest, but he refuses. Goodman Brown now sits and ponders whether or not to turn back. He hears the voices of the town’s deacon and minister, and they talk of he communion they will be attending. Upon hearing this, Goodman Brown cries out that he will stand strong against the devil. He then hears the confused sound of voices of the towns-people. This is the devil firmly urging Goodman Brown to give in to the evil force. Now the desperate man hears the scream of a woman and sees his wife’s pink hair ribbon in a tree and he is paralyzed by the effects of this. Crying out “My Faith is gone, there is no good on earth: and sin is but a name” he instantly sells himself to the devil.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, Young Goodman Brown, Brown goes on a journey through the forest that drastically changes him. While we never know the real reason why Brown went to the forest, the experience in the forest caused him to become a bitter, sad, and lonely man who couldn't look at life the same after that night. There were many events that occurred in the forest that caused this change in him.

to save him, so it won?t matter if he leaves his own at home because it will be waiting for him. Brown meets the devil along a crooked path, and the devil asks why he is late; Brown replies, ?Faith kept me back awhile?(311). The ?faith? Brown has left behind is not just his wife, but also his literal faith to satisfy his burning human curiosity. Brown shows his desire to break loose from his normal life by meeting Satan, the spawn of all rebellion, in the forest. Brown tries to fight the evil inside of him to tell the devil he must go back to his faith, and the devil convinces him that they will walk the crooked path and reason as they go. The devil says, ?and if I convince thee not thou shalt turn back. We are but little in the forest yet?(312). As they venture further into the forest the devil tries to strip Brown of his faith, but he realizes this and stops to exclaim, ?Too far! Too far!?(312). Brown argues the good Christian background of his father and grandfather would never walk upon this crooked path with the devil by their side. The path that Brown is on causes him to gamble with his soul under the promptings of the devil, and he knows he must choose to either roll the dice or turn around and go home. The devil is prepared for such resistance and refutes Brown?s declaration of his ancestors by saying, ?They were my good friends, both; and many a pleasant walk have we had along this path, and returned merrily after

“Young Goodman Brown,” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1835, is a short story about a man named young Goodman Brown who leaves his wife, Faith, to go on an errand into the woods with the devil. Faith begs Goodman Brown to not leave her alone, but he chooses to go anyways. This short story shows many signs of symbolism, such as the forest, the devil, the staff, the pink ribbons, Faith, sin, and guilt. These symbols help in understanding the story of young Goodman Brown and his unconscious struggle with his religion. The trip not only takes Brown onto a journey of sadness, but also into the deepest parts of his soul. Goodman Brown wishes to enter the dark forest of sin, to satisfy his

Throughout these two stories, the forest serves to represent evil and the unknown; however, it also represents truth, as it is the place where secrets come out and people express their true selves. In the very beginning of Young Goodman Brown, Goodman Brown’s wife Faith, advises him to wait until sunrise of the next morning to start his journey into the forest instead of leaving at night time, suggesting that Brown is traveling towards, and into the ominous darkness. This darkness represents everything evil, or the devil’s abode, so by having Faith urge her husband not to travel during the dark nighttime, it can be inferred that she is attempting to help him avoid the devil. However, Brown does not listen to the advice of Faith, and ventures deep into the path of sin, eventually coming to a terrifying realization

"As he was walking into the forest I think it symbolic of how his soul is getting darker as the light of goodness fade away from his soul and the Indian behind the trees are the temptations in his life that are out to get him." says Owatas (website 1) Young Good Man Brown even doubts his next course f action but as soon as he meets up with the devil his fate is sealed.

Brown also proves to be impressionable and easily influence because after one ambiguous night, he lets himself change into a completely different man. Before entering the forest Brown was close to his community. However, after one night of spending with the devil, he returns a cynical pessimistic man who only sees the evil in his community. They way he regarded those in his society changed overnight. The impression was so strong that it did not last a month or a year but a lifetime. Even at

Seeing his fellow church members and his wife among women who were convicted and put to death for being witches makes Brown question himself. Yet, still Brown abhors transgression. Although he avoids Satan, however, he cannot forget how Satan influenced him with what he saw that night. He became " a stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man" (Hawthorne 1244) and lived his life this way until death.

As the devil and Brown walk in the forest, he did not realize what he was doing was bad until he saw that Goody Cloyse’s, the Minister, and the Deacon were followers of the devil. This persuades him to no longer associate with Satan and return back to Faith; little did he know he would end up finding Faith in the forest falling for the temptation. Instead of following in Faith steps he rejects the devil once again and went home. Something Brown learns that night, according to Walter, is that feeling that people have inside them that persuades them to commit evil. In conclusion, this article shows that the second theme is the fight between good and

Although Brown learns the sins of the men in his family, he wants to go back to Faith. When he sees the man and Goody Cloyse talking about wrong doings, he cannot believe what he is seeing. A woman who “…taught me my catechism” claims the devil man as her friend, and she is on the path to darkness. After witnessing the encounter, Brown is too tired to continue. While he is sitting down, Brown overhears the minister and deacon Gookin conversing while traveling through the dark forest. Because he does not want people to know that he is in the forest, Brown hides himself from the minister and deacon Gookin. They talk of a meeting of sinners taking place in the forest where people from all around will be attending. After witnessing people who Brown perceives as good, but are bad, his faith starts to waver.

Brown’s journey into the woods is his journey of individuation, as he must come to terms with the dark desires of his id. For the Puritans, the dark woods are a symbol "of mistrust of their own corrupt hearts and faculties" (this is also an archetypal symbol), which directly

Following the myriad of idyllic forest pathways, the wandering souls of many well-known works of literature have presented the forest as a place of spiritual growth, yet also as a home for dangerous and malicious beings. While the trails in the woods that these characters take may lead them to their destination, it is often seen that these individuals come across guides, groups, and figures that influence which road is, or rather is not, taken. By this means, the forest is misrepresented as the sole symbol of religious metamorphosis. In exploring forest symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘Young Goodman Brown,” I have found similarities that exist between this story and Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno.” By juxtaposing these commonalities, I argue that the forest is an allegory for the spiritual journey that a person who has lost their way in their faith must take; however, those figures that this pilgrim meets along the way will ultimately lead the person to their final resolution as to either keeping or losing their faith. Through extensive research and analysis, I have found evidence that allows me to connect these concepts with the ideologies of the era as well as the historical aspects that influenced these authors to take these distinct literary routes.

In the beginning of the story, Brown is beginning his descent into the darkness of the woods. Brown is on “a dreary road, darkened by the gloomiest of trees . . . concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead.” (452) The path that Brown has taken is very small, making him feel closed in and trapped. He is isolated on this hidden path where he is vulnerable to any evil creature that may come through. These elements of the setting put the fear in Brown, he is thinking anyone could be out there like Indians or the Devil himself. In this society, Native Americans, midnight, and the woods were considered quite sinister. For all of these things to be at hand gives the feeling of danger and moral wrongness for this time. After Brown passes a crook of the road he comes face to face with none other than Satan. The Devil has a staff shaped like a serpent,