Faith And Symbolism In Young Goodman Brown

In the story “Young Goodman Brown,” the character Brown is a religious man who lives fully on his faith, spiritually and physically. Faith was also the name of his wife, which could be taken as symbolism for his actual faith that was in his life. As it says in the book “And Faith, as the wife was aptly named…” He uses his “Faith” to go about the world. He uses Faith to guide him throughout the way that he lives his life continuously. Another ironic aspect in the story of “Young Goodman Brown,” is how they are in the town of Salem which is known for various reasons. One main reason is that Salem is where the famous Witch Trials had taken place. The Witch Trials became a huge part of American history because of the countless Puritans that were sentenced to death for being accused of practicing witchcraft. Therefore, witchcraft being pure evil goes against every part of the Puritan religion.

The main symbol used by Hawthorne throughout the story is Goodman Brown’s wife, Faith. Faith has a more of a significance in the story than just Brown’s wife, she represents actual faith and purity. There is a conflict going on inside of Brown’s mind and it is if he should “keep the faith” or not. In the beginning, Faith urges Brown to stay home and go in the morning, but he disregards her and keeps going. This is a metaphor for Brown leaving his religious faith. Goodman Brown questions if his wife has lost faith in him and he asks her, ‘“dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married?”’ Throughout the story, Faith stays as a symbol of Brown’s faith. The devil and Goodman Brown finally meet and the devil questions Brown about being late. Brown being a little afraid responds with, “Faith kept me back awhile,” Faith physically tried to hold Brown back and figuratively talking about his faith in the religion. His wife could have prevented Brown from talking to the devil, but failed. Meeting with the devil evidently shows that Brown is willing to see the evil side of his religion.

                Hawthorne writes of the Goodman leaving his faith (or Faith, if you will). When analsised in comparison to the stereotypical Puritan beliefs, the faith (Faith) is not necessarily a good one to begin with. The pink ribbon in her hair is a beacon that shines in the dark. The stereotypical puritan would not allow the sinful joy of colors in his life. Pink in a world of black, white and (if you were really daring) grey is obvious. Faith (both) is flawed. To better phrase that: Faith is not flawed. It is what Goodman Brown sees as his

Faith plays a major role in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown”. From the start of his journey to his arrival back home, Faith is always in the back of head, making him question his surroundings and own thoughts. It’s hard to determine when he’s speaking of his lovely wife Faith or his Faith in his God and religion. Through his many

Hawthorne in essence, portrayed Goodman as proof of the nature of evil in man by showing how easily even a young dedicated Puritan can easily be influenced by a complete stranger. This stranger was symbolically the Devil among men in this text. Hawthorne begins introducing the Devil immediately as trying to sway Goodman to follow him on a long journey. By leaving his wife, Faith to begin the journey, Goodman Brown was symbolically leaving his faith in God and entering a forsaken ground by following the Devil. The fact that Goodman Brown left with no regard for his wife Faith’s warning, symbolized the lack of regard for his own faith in God and his fellow human race. This simple disregard that Goodman Brown showed was evidence of the easily persuaded ability of man to choose sin over good.

In the short story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is a certain uncertainty, deviousness, and a riddle of wrongdoing living within the citizens of Salem. Young Goodman Brown, a very naive person, is ruined when he realizes the hypocrisy of his religion as he witnesses the truth in the middle of Salem woods. His own people worshipping a being that is not God! Ironically, when Brown confronts his fellow townspeople, he is angered by their responses; they seem to have no recollection of what occurred in the woods. Thus leaving him in a state of insanity, where all Brown senses around him are lies. The natural impulse to keep secrets and lies can harm others. This is embodied in Young Goodman Brown, who goes from a typical puritan to an unkind, judgmental, depressed man.

Nathaniel Hawthorne uses different people as symbols throughout "Young Goodman Brown." The largest symbolic roles in the story are goodman Brown and his wife Faith. Both of the characters' names are symbolic and representative of their personalities. "'With Heaven above and Faith below, I will stand firm against the devil!' cried goodman Brown," is

“Goodman Brown’s case offers a ‘psychological paradigm’ that is puzzling, in that Brown loses his ‘faith’ in humankind by fleeing from a normal, loving wife named ‘Faith’” (Wright “‘Young Goodman Brown’” 1). Hawthorne literally uses Brown’s wife, Faith, to symbolize Brown’s deteriorating loyalty to God in the story. As the good man sets forth on his odyssey, because of strong faith Brown believes he can resist the devil and the temptations set before him. Brown says, “,...’having kept covenant by meeting thee here, it is my purpose now to return whence I came.

Notably Faith, the protagonist’s wife, plays a huge role as an allegory and a symbol throughout Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown.” In this story Faith’s name plays as an allegory. At first this could easily be missed because it sounds like a common name for a woman, but once the readers get further into the story they realize that her name plays an enormous role in the story’s plot. Faith’s name symbolizes Brown’s faith in God. In the story when Brown meets the man in the forest the man says, “You are late Goodman Brown,” and Brown replies, “Faith kept me back awhile” (Hawthorne 330). At this point of the story the audience knows for

In the first paragraph of the story, Hawthorne gives a small description of Faith and with it, portrays to the readers an innocent woman who seems to be able to do no harm. He also gives her a distinct characteristic with her pink ribbons that proves to be important in the story because it causes Goodman Brown to recognize that she is in fact in the forest with him. Hawthorne depicts Faith in a virginal matter which allows him to create a plot twist further along in the story. Faith’s description prompts the readers to believe that she is just another normal housewife, and thus the readers are shocked when they read that she is also one of the devil worshippers.

The word “Faith” throughout the story is related to the belief in God, it also can be interpreted as if this character is completely pure and innocent. This story is situated in Salem, Massachusetts 17th Century. The puritans were a community surrounded by witchcraft and devilish people, but they didn’t know who was and who was not, thus, distrust and suspicions were clearly noticeable in the behavior of the puritans. I believe that even though they seemed to trust their peers that weren't the truth. Goodman Brown notices that even the most respected people in town are corrupted by the darkness. Goodman Brown says “There is no good on earth...sin is but a name.” with this he shows that he has lost his innocence, he doesn’t believe in the town’s

In Young Goodman Brown one of the most important symbolisms is Faith, Brown’s wife, Faith represents he’s actual faith in god. When Goodman Brown was heading into the forest, he still has her, but as the story unravels it becomes clearer that Faith is not who she seems. Hawthorne makes Faith seem young and innocent when he describes her: "And Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap". Brown knew her as someone who he could trust and care for, just like his actual faith in god. As the story goes on, Brown heads into the forest,

Fogle claims that Hawthorne uses the image of Faith’s ribbon to propel Goodman into fully accepting sin. Fogle claims that “casting aside all further scruples, he rages through the wild forest to the meeting of witches, for the time at least fully accepting the domination of Evil” (451). After seeing his wife’s ribbon Goodman is distraught, thus pushing him to chase after the ribbon in hopes of finding Faith. The ribbon is a symbol of ambiguity because it is a real object that after propelling Goodman to accept a life of sin vanishes, further questioning the reality of the situation. Fogle further argues that ribbons portray a heavenly aspect and put an emphasis on Faith’s pureness, “these ribbons, as we have seen, are an important factor in the plot; and as an emblem of heavenly Faith their color gradually deepens into the liquid flame or blood of the baptism in to sin” (456). The ribbons represent Goodman’s fall into evil that eventually causes his family to live a life of misery.

Young Goodman Brown then finds himself alone in the forest, wondering whether he has awakened from a dream or if he really did attend the witches’ sabbath. Brown chooses to believe that his dream is true, and that everyone around him is involved in witchcraft. “The next morning, young Goodman Brown came slowly into the street of Salem village staring around him like a bewildered man.” (Paragraph 70) Because of this, Brown spends the remainder of his life being, "A stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man” (Paragraph 75). Goodman Brown now looks for the devil behind every bush and in the hearts of all those around him, never recognizing that his own soul is now hopelessly corrupt and blind to the light and goodness of God. The forest, the devil and his staff, and Faith and her pink ribbons are the main points to prove young Goodman Brown of a story full of symbolism. There is no doubt that the traveler meeting Brown is the devil and the devils staff is clearly the symbol of a serpent. Faith is both Brown’s wife and religion. The pink ribbons discussed are symbolized as innocence because his faith in God is the right thing to do. Unlike following the devil, which led Brown to sin and guilt. “Ha! ha! ha!” roared Goodman Brown, when the wind laughed at him. “Let us hear which will laugh loudest! Think not to frighten me

The Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials, hypocrisy, and sac religious gatherings of the 1600s left the townspeople with feelings of guilt and shame that directly affected their lives even in the 1800’s. The accusations made by the people during the trials caused them to become paranoid, which could lead them to question their faith Without their faith, the people ended up making horrible decisions. Published in 1835, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, “Young Goodman Brown” is a short story that provides a scenario that shows what effects the salem witch trials can have on people. The story’s protagonist, Young Goodman Brown, goes on a journey that causes him to lose his faith in his community. Brown sses his town and wife differently after he sees how the townspeople give in to the devil. Hawthorne’s symbolic uses of the staff, Young Goodman Brown, and Faith help to convey the themes of good versus evil and loss of faith.