The Struggle In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

“Young Goodman Brown” – the Poverty in the Tale and in the Life of the Author

“There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree, said Goodman Brown, to himself; and he glanced fearfully behind him, as he added, ‘What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!” (Hawthorne 387). This also tells the reader that Hawthorne his trying to convey the challenge of temptation, however ultimately maintaining Puritan faith is what is most important throughout the story. “With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil! Cried Goodman Brown” (Hawthorne 391). Goodman Brown is tempted by evil, and has multiple opportunities to succumb to the “devil” however he is able to overcome adversity and maintain his

In Hawthorne’s ‘Young Goodman Brown’ the main character, Goodman Brown leaves his wife alone for a night to go to a secret meeting in the forest. As it turns out the religious Goodman Brown is actually sneaking off to meet with the Devil. While in the forest with the devil he sees many influential people from town there as well, including his wife. They seem to be about to be taken into the cult when Goodman Brown looks at his wife and begs her to remain with her Faith. Next thing he knows he wakes up like nothing ever happened. Whether this whole experience was a dream or not, it caused young Goodman brown to lose his faith and innocence. Hawthorne expresses this loss of innocence by using setting, symbolism and motifs to build up the story’s theme around Young Goodman Brown’s loss of faith.

Many authors who write of religious, philosophical, or moral issues frequently use symbolism and allegory to spark the reader’s interest. This style of writing builds on the emotions of the reader. It creates a visual image making the story real and believable.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of the short story “Young Goodman Brown”, he was an American writer in the 19th century. He was born in Salem village, and he died at the age of 60. His short story about a man named Young Goodman Brown, who lived in Salem village with his wife Faith. They have been married three months. Mr. Goodman Brown has left his wife for one travel night although his wife does not want him to go. He insists on leaving without telling his wife where he is going nor why he is going at night. Then Faith says, “Then God be with you, and may you find all well, when you are back.” So Brown left; he started his journey at night through the dark forest. Mr. Goodman Brown saw many things that caused him to wonder and to fear: scary trees, witches, and a walking staff look that looked like a snake rising up. His determination to leave and experience the dark side turns Brown from a hero to a coward; he is fearful of what might happen if he does not go in to the forest, because he is not confident in his faith, and he is not trusting God anymore, and he take the devil as his guide.

In “Young Goodman Brown” Hawthorne reveals that the wickedness of the world and humanity can take a toll on our faith in God. The story shows obvious symbolism throughout. It shows that not everyone is who they show themselves to be to the world. The world and devil will constantly challenge our faith in God. Human nature is worldly and it’s so easy to be deceived by the devil. Once you start down the path of sin it can be hard to turn around.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “Young Goodman Brown,” Hawthorne presents the tale of a young man from Salem, Massachusetts during colonial America. One night, Brown accidentally witnesses a witches meeting in the forest where he sees the rest of the town, including his wife Faith, in attendance. This comes as quite a shock to Brown and the next morning but he cannot remember whether or not the scene was real of simply a dream. Regardless, from then on Brown lives his life in opposition to the rest of the town. Although it may seem that the meaning of the story comes simply from an evaluation of Brown himself, and the actions he takes against the towns people, more needs to be done to fully comprehend the totality of Hawthorne’s

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.

Although it was difficult to stray from the obvious aspects of this story, I found that once you remove all religious theories, it is quite tragic and perhaps one that many can relate with. Nathaniel Hawthorne tells a story about a man’s transition from youth and innocence to a life marred by mankind’s corrupt nature and darkness of the world. From the very beginning, Goodman Brown has a decision, to stay with his young wife, who expresses her fear of loneliness and a bad premonitions of that night, or to leave on a journey which he is not fully confident about. My thoughts are that he was heading to war and leaving behind his wife who represented all the good and purity of the world to him. He was reluctant to leave but felt it was his duty

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.

Hawthorn’s use of dramatic irony in Young Goodman Brown succoring suspense build up, divulging the sanctimonious comportment of Puritans.(1) For instance, when Young Goodman Brown did not recognize the old man traveler, the devil in disguise when clear demonstrations stood in front of him.(2) As the pious old women passed the traveller he touches her with his staff and she she she cried out, “The devil"(pg.5).(3) Knowing the denouement of the story, Young Goodman Brown unknowingly encounters the devil and goes farther into the "unholy" forest.(4) In addition, Young Goodman Brown ponders over the fearful possibility the devil watches him.(5) Goodman Brown half-heartedly questions, "What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow"(pg.2).(6)

What changes human nature? Are people bad by nature, or do people only hurt each other because they believe it’s the world that’s a bad place? Hawthorne illustrates a man who faced this struggle head on (Goodman Brown) in his short story “Young Goodman Brown.” Near the end of the short story, Goodman Brown, who once seen everyone as pure and people of God had a life changing experience. The devil told him that “sin ye shall scent out all the places.”

“The Path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men,” (Tarantino). In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story “Young Goodman Brown”, Brown is the righteous man following a path beset on all sides by evil. Hawthorne utilizes the fictional elements of symbolism, characterization, and setting to discuss the story’s theme of temptation of the wrong choices over the right. This story is based in Hawthorne’s home town Salem. The story is about a man’s journey through a forest where he is intercepted by the devil on his way to a black mass. Goodman Brown is torn between continuing on this path of evil alongside the devil or returning to his wife faith. Throughout his journey Brown is faced with

Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of “Young Goodman Brown,” was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1804. Hawthorne, born into a Puritan family who was struggling financially, had never met his father. He had died when Hawthorne was but a boy of four years old. This, along with embarrassments brought upon by other ancestors, seemed to affect his writing and perhaps even inspired parts of “Young Goodman Brown.” Hawthorne had one ancestor, a Puritan judge, who persecuted Quakers, and another, who had taken part in the Salem Witch Hysteria (Meyer 322). Both of these were mentioned, or hinted upon, in the story of “Young Goodman Brown.”

“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story about a normal man that ventures into the forest to meet an old man who attempts to tempt him into going deeper into the woods to worship the devil. After the old man convinces him that everyone that he loves and respects is going to the devil’s ceremony he gives in. In “Young Goodman Brown”, Hawthorne effectively uses symbolism to portray the theme that putting one 's faith in others leads to weakness and the role his psychological developed plays in his morality.