Themes And Reflection Of The Allegory Of Young Goodman Brown

The forest is a dark setting where most of Goodman Brown dark doings occur. “The symbolic forest the night is, in effect, young Goodman Brown’s own dark soul where belief turns into doubt, faith into skepticism, and where the people encountered are the adumbration of his daily familiars and ancestral past” (Cook 6). The forest in Young Goodman Brown is the setting where most of the macabre takes place and showcases how it affects his soul and turn of events. Young Goodman Brown walks into the forest as one person who comes across numerous horrid things. He witnesses his community participating in what he believes is a cult dance for the devil and that the forest is the home of the devil. “The whole forest was peopled with frightful sounds;

Situational irony is when the situation is the opposite of what is expected. One example of this is how the townspeople see Dimmesdale as a holy, pure role model, when he is the opposite. After one of his sermons, the audience said “never had man spoken in so wise, so high, and so holy a spirit, as he that spake this day (222).” This irony between the townspeople and the Reverend Dimmesdale shows Hawthorne’s views on the Puritan society. They portray a religious, pure character, when they are actually sinful and corrupt. Another example of situational irony is when the townspeople give Hester the scarlet A to represent her sin of adultery. Later in the book, many people saw the scarlet A as meaning able because of the strength Hester has shown throughout her life. “They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength (146).” Not only are the people of the community seeing Hester’s scarlet letter to mean something else, but the letter itself is beautiful. That “scarlet letter, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell (51).” The townspeople allowed the scarlet A to look beautiful and have a magical effect, but represent a dark and sinful act. The irony here shows Hawthorne viewing the Puritans as corrupt by making them contradict themselves and by not allowing their punishment system to have its intended effect. Overall, Hawthorne uses

In young Goodman brown symbolism is used to give the forest an evil meaning. The forest turns into a place where there are no rules. the forest symbolizes wilderness a place that is not safe and where the devil lives. in the story the author says “he had taken a dreary road darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest which barely stood aside to let a narrow path creep through and closed immediately behind” (hawthorn pg.1) the author is giving the reader an evil image to the forest.

Symbolism and allegory are methods for writers to expand meaning. Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas, values, qualities whereas allegory is a hidden or “deeper” meaning to a poem, story, or a picture. Within Nathaniel Hawthorne “ Young Goodman Brown” we are introduced to an old man with a devil’s staff that is engraved with a serpent. The readers can assume Hawthorne is relating to the Biblical symbol of the snake which can mean evil. Just as the serpent tempted Eve in the garden, Hawthorne uses the old man to tempt Young Goodman. Young Goodman accepts the old man’s offer and the readers can then assume Young Goodman is on the road towards evil. Hawthorne uses Goodman’s wife Faith both as a name and as faith being spiritual.

Despite being a very religious man, it is interesting to see how Goodman Brown's faith is shaken. It is even more interesting to see how he has been blinded to evil as it appears as though he and his wife are the only two people within the village that have not been initiated into the village's evil sect. One can interpret Goodman Brown's forest journey as one of self-discovery.

The forest that Goodman Brown's journey takes place in has an ominous feel to it throughout the story, this is because Hawthorne portrays the Puritan belief that the forest is the devil's habitat. Hawthorne gives the reader some insight into the nature of the forest after Goodman Brown leaves his home; ¨He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind¨ (Hawthorne 1). This shows the reader exactly what Goodman is getting into, with the trees locking him in the forest, it means there is no getting out. This excerpt uses imagery to show that the forest could be evil and possibly belonging to the devil, telling the reader that the forest is like a trap and nothing heavenly dwells inside. More evidence of the forest´s evil is revealed after Goodman Brown loses Faith, ¨On he flew among the black pines… and now shouting forth such laughter as set all the echoes of the forest, laughing like

Nathaniel Hawthorne creates a story based around real events that took place during the seventeenth century. Goodman Brown is exposed to the real world and what may be the true identity of the people around him. After seeing the truth, Goodman Brown does not know who he can truly trust. Although Brown loves his wife and is strong in his faith, he begins to question himself and everything around him. This story is written with foreshadowing, symbolism, and point of view. In the story, “A Young Goodman Brown”, Nathanial Hawthorne uses true events to portray how life can sometimes be confusing and a lie.

Rooted deep within each individual hides a bit of evil; however, for some it may be more, others less. In the story, “Young Goodman Brown”, it tells of a man - Goodman Brown - who ventures into an eerie forest in Salem and is met by a man who develops an uncanny resemblance to the devil. In the forest, those whom Goodman Brown have seen to be pure and innocent, are shown to have a more sinister side. Goodman Brown is then determined to go no further; but, as he sits, he begins to witness things he did not expect to see or hear. The experience startles Goodman Brown so much that, when he returns, he is no longer able to trust anyone. “Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness” (par. 65). This gives insight to the theme of the story; that there is potential evil in everyone.

The first way that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbols to represent his life as a Puritan is through the setting and atmosphere of the story. The story of Young Goodman Brown takes place in the dark forest that symbolizes the habitat of the devil. Throughout the story, Brown is faced with deciding whether he wants to continue down his road in the forest with the devil, or stop right then and there and go back to his wife, Faith. The forest lies in the village of Salem, which symbolizes the era of the Salem Witch Trials. These trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts. Hawthorne uses the town's name to further connect this short story with the Puritan era. Moores writes, “The forest is where Puritan morality and civilization end and the darker forces of

At the start of the story, the author uses symbols to cultivate the idea of religion and how it intertwines with sinful acts, ultimately leading to the misery and mistrust of Goodman Brown. Beginning with the main character's wife, the author uses her to symbolize the faith of Goodman Brown. The narrator explains that Goodman Brown is leaving his wife (named Faith) for one night to journey into the dark forest (25). His wife embodies the idea of religion and his

Newlywed Goodman Brown, plans to kiss his wife, Faith, goodbye, and journey into the woods one evening, to satisfy his curiosity. As he heads off with strong faith, he looks back, and is concerned whether Faith knows of his real plans. Goodman is a young man of Salem, Massachusetts who comes from a long line of Puritans. He is a devout Christian and frightened of ever becoming a sinner. Although Goodman’s journey may only be a dream, his trip into the woods is a life altering journey. He ultimately comes to mistrust his family, his community, and faith, and lives the rest of his days as an unhappy man of doom. (thesis stmt) When reading “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, you come across many different examples of symbolism relating to Goodman’s relationship with God, portrayed with the use of color and light, nature and its surroundings, and innocence and morality.

Newlywed Goodman Brown, plans to kiss his wife, Faith, goodbye, and journey into the woods one evening, to satisfy his curiosity. As he heads off with strong faith, he looks back, and is concerned whether Faith knows of his real plans. Goodman is a young man from Salem, Massachusetts who comes from a long line of Puritans. He is a devote Christian and frightened of ever becoming a sinner. Although Goodman’s journey may only be a dream, his trip into the woods is a life altering journey. He ultimately comes to mistrust his family, his community, and faith, and lives the rest of his days as an unhappy, dismal man. (thesis stmt) When reading “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, you come across many different examples of symbolism relating to Goodman’s relationship with God, portrayed with the use of color and light, nature and its surroundings, and innocence and morality.

Young Goodman Brown a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The tale features a man on a journey through a local forest, his journey becomes more complex and dark with his every step. Thought out the story we find people with very symbolic such as Faith who is Browns wife, Browns name its self is a big symbol in the length of the tale. Many objects become the focus of symbolism in the story also such as the staph given to him by the elderly man in the woods and the woods themselves being a symbol. The story also focus on satirizing the puritan lifestyle via symbolism such as the devil congregation resembling a church congregation. Young Goodman Brown is a story swamped with symbolism such as names and objects that allude to what Nathaniel Hawthorne

The breakdown on Young Goodman Brown story is quite like the narrative, confusing. Through symbolism and analysis, that the story provides us a deep look into the human mind. What one man named Goodman Brown went through that night entails of the potentials of good and evil. How one could judge himself so harshly as he does others bestows the idea that everyone is born evil. Will this twisted take on a psychedelic adventure unravel the serpent within all of us?

Hawthorne’s description and duplicity of characters is what makes Young Goodman Brown an allegory. An allegory is a story or poem that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. I feel each character has this doublings or shadiness about them. Not only duplicity, but other characteristics about them that contradicts their apparent roles or morals. Much of his symbolism contributes to the duplicity of the characters and mainly the story.