Nathaniel Hawthorne 's Young Goodman Brown

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” these literary devices are used to bring emphasis to Brown’s struggle with his moral and spiritual beliefs. Goodman Brown is challenged with an important decision to keep his faith or follow the temptation of evil. Allegory and symbolism of the pink ribbons, Faith, the staff, and the woods are used by Hawthorne to create an allusion that the town’s people could not be corrupted by evil.

In “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author entertains the readers by using suspense and mystery. Hawthorne uses the devil and a witch as the main antagonists to test Young Goodman Brow’s faith, he uses symbolism to foreshadow. The author’s main goal as a puritan was to show that faith man’s most important quality, when is at risk it makes it seem as if everyone was bad, and see the rest of the world without faith.In “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author entertains the readers by using suspense and mystery. Hawthorne uses the devil and a witch as the main antagonists to test Young Goodman Brow’s faith, he uses symbolism to foreshadow. The author’s main goal as a puritan was to show that faith man’s most important quality, when is at risk it makes it seem as if everyone was bad, and see the rest of the world without faith.

Later in the journey Brown offers his faith as the last reason to abort his walk with the devil: "Well, then, to end the matter at once,... there is my wife, Faith. It would break her dear little heart; and I'd rather break my own!" (214). At this point his faith is still more important to him than his own life. Later, just after doubting whether there really is a Heaven, Brown's trust in his faith is changed as he imagines that even Faith is traveling along the same road of temptation. He exclaims, "My Faith is gone!" "There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil! For to thee is this world given"(217). Goodman Brown's faith in humanity is completely destroyed. He concedes the earth and all mankind to the devil. At the end of the story Hawthorne shows that Brown's love for his Faith is damaged forever: "...he shrank from the bosom of Faith, and at morning or eventide, when the family knelt down at prayer, he scowled, and muttered to himself, and gazed sternly at his wife and turned away"(221). The journey had changed Brown's relationship with Faith, because it changed his faith in mankind.

In the short story “Young Goodman Brown,” the author Nathaniel Hawthorne shows the fragility of humans when it comes to their morality. Goodman Brown goes on a journey through the forest with the devil to watch the witches’ ritual and observes the evil in the Puritan society. He loses his faith as he sees the people he respects the most participating in the sinful ritual. Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes setting, and symbolism in his short story “Young Goodman Brown,” to show how a person’s perspective can change by showing the hypocritical nature of the Puritan society

When it comes to the topic of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown, most of us will readily agree that duplicity is a major theme in the piece, or the idea of different versions of reality. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of whether Hawthorne is implying that man is inherently evil. Whereas some are convinced that Young Goodman Brown was good until tainted by the Devil, others maintain that he was evil from the beginning and was completely aware of the evil he was indulging in. My personal view, however, is that Young Goodman Brown was inherently evil, but it did not come to light until the Devil began to influence Brown. This can be seen through the use of symbolism, biblical allusions, and the development of the main characters. While the Devil may have revealed that Young Goodman Brown was not as innocent and pious as he appeared, Brown was willingly indulging in sin and was inherently evil.

Faith is all Goodman Brown has known. He had even married a Faith. The double meaning of Faith within this story shows major Irony for us as the readers. Brown marrying a Faith was almost shown as he made the biggest devotion towards God. The main character has put every ounce of Faith he has into his life that would completely give himself to God forever. This is

In the short story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the reader is left with unanswered questions about what actually happened to Goodman Brown the night he took an unforgettable journey into the woods. Therefore, questions form about dream or real life occurrences, and it lingers over the minds of the readers after this ominous, short story ends. Experience versus imagination in the short story “Young Goodman Brown” are questionable because Hawthorne allows the reader to interpret their own imaginations with evidence to conspire if Brown only had a dream, or if it was all reality proving that evil lives within everyone.

He takes one final stand and says he will not go any further. “What if a wretched old woman do choose to go to the devil when I thought she was going to heaven: is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith and go after her?” (Hawthorne 7) The devil told him to rest and to take his staff to help him along. He threw Goodman Brown his staff and disappeared. Goodman Brown feels good about him resisting going any further on the errand, but it has clearly taken a toll on him to see this wickedness in the lady who taught him his beliefs. While he is sitting there he hears the voice of the minister saying that he would not miss this meeting tonight and “Moreover, there is a goodly young woman to be taken into communion.” (Hawthorne 8) This really made Goodman Brown question his faith in God. “He looked up to the sky, doubting whether there really was a heaven above him.” (8) He tries to convince himself to stay strong. “With heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!” (8) As he looked up to the sky a cloud covered the stars through the opening of the trees. This represents his faith being shrouded and overwhelmed by the darkness in the

Nathaniel Hawthorne crafts an overtly biblical atmosphere in “Young Goodman Brown,” the main character grappling with inner temptation and shocking revelations and realizations. While struggling with temptation, Goodman Brown learns the hypocritical nature of Puritan religion along with the realization that evil lurks in all mens’ hearts, including his own. One revelation is left up to the reader to discern although, being that the loss of innocence is inevitable. The Puritan religion is incontrovertibly hypocritical.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “Young Goodman Brown,” demonstrates how Goodman Brown leaves his wife, Faith, to do an errand within the woods with a man that is believed to be the devil. During the time period in which this took place, the 1620’s, many of the people from the village were practicing Puritanism. Puritanism is an intense practice of religion retrieved from Protestants, only removing its Catholic influence. When Goodman Brown entered the woods to meet the devil, he soon turned into a man who was corrupt within his faith. When Mr. Brown left his wife and entered into the dark woods, it displayed a form of symbolism. In continuation, symbolized a Puritan man straying away from his faith in God which is his wife in this case. Moreover, when Brown entered the woods and followed the devil, it represented his faith diminishing away with every step he took in the forest. Hawthorne demonstrates Brown becoming a skeptic of his own religion through his actions.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown,” is an attention grabber that leaves you with an ambiguous finale. Goodman Brown, the protagonist, struggles with doubts in his life that takes him on an adventure in the forest. As he travels through the forest Goodman’s excessive curiosity leaves him with a different perspective on life. Hawthorne leaves many clues in the story that symbolizes faith and evilness in the characters.

     Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” captivates the reader through a glimpse of the Puritan church. The story also shows the struggle of good versus evil in the main character Goodman Brown. The role of the Puritan church is crucial in shaping Goodman Brown’s personality and helping the reader understand why he was reluctant to continue his journey.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown,” Hawthorne is able to illustrate to his readers the sense of secrecy and suspense amongst the tainted Puritan society in Salem. Throughout the entire story the reader is left with the lingering thoughts of the double-sided lifestyles of those in the Salem village. One begins to realize there is some sort of hidden meaning and symbolism beneath the events and the people of the story “Young Goodman Brown”. The story reveals a corrupt society that loses its innocence, faith based and Puritan’s ways on the peer pressure of society’s beliefs. During this time it is essential and ideal to have a good faith but when one’s faith is tainted, it can lead to downfall that effects can’t be reversed.

From the beginning of “Young Goodman Brown”, he sets off on his adventure right at sunset. But to set out on sunset means to go during darkness. In describing it in that sense, it is symbolizing evil, which establishes the setting of the story. When Goodman Brown is beginning his journey into the woods, he tells his wife, who is aptly named Faith goodbye. Hawthorne intentionally names her Faith because it symbolizes the faith in God that he and his wife share, and to also depict what Goodman Brown leaves at his house while he goes on his adventure. His wife is wearing pink ribbons in her hair, which implies that she is a pure, innocent woman. Before Goodman Brown begins his departure into the woods, she tells him not to go until sunrise. This implies that going during a sunrise is much more peaceful and pleasant rather than going during sunset when it is otherwise

In the story ” Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author demonstrates the ideas of the dual nature of man, which represented by the character Goodman Brown. He is a religious man who left his wife; Faith, behind to travel into the wood where a devil ceremony is takes place. The allegory of the story is that the innocence of a man can easily be corrupted if that person is not truly believes in his religion. Although, Goodman Brown is innocent, he also a devil himself by following devil into the dark. This story takes place in New England during Salem times and the wood during nighttime is very spooky. He is a victim of himself by taking an estrangement after he wakes up; he lives in solitude for the rest of his life, and died in despair. Goodman Brown believes in the innocence of the people surrounding him in daily life, especially his wife, Faith, until the devil reveals their true nature. Additionally, Faith, the name of the character is an indication of the belief of Young Goodman Brown toward Christian. However, from the moment that he left his “Faith” behind, his belief toward humanity vanishes, and the nature devil inside of him clearly expose as he approaches devil. Consequently, Goodman Brown isn’t truly believes in his religion, his mind was shaken easily, as well as the good and the evil sides of humanity.