Goodman Brown Faith

Young Goodman Brown: Blind Faith

Is it possible for a man to be SO hypnotized by faith that he is incapable of apprehending the truth that surrounds him? Yes. The principle of faith centers heavily around the confident belief of an idea set by a person or community. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," the faith of an individual conflicts with the faith of the community. The story takes place during the period where all devoted Puritans adopt Calvinism; Goodman Brown being one of them. Calvinism presents the idea that all men are born sinful because of Original Sin. That is, all men are essentially evil within. Moreover, it preaches once man has sin, he is "incapable of any spiritual good" (Hanko 2). Goodman Brown himself

Of great significance to the story, the serpent-like staff carried by the mysterious figure personifies Goodman Brown's misconceptions of the unknown in human nature. Brown has been deceived by a highly programmed society to believe that humans are virtuous, but he comes to realize that when the curtain is pulled down, their evil nature manifests. The serpent is a suitable representation for deceit as they can appear one way, then shed their skins and appear differently. According to THE OLD TESTAMENT, it was the serpent that tricked Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden apples; "Then the LORD God said to the woman, "what is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate" (Genesis 3:13). Even in nature, the serpent is seen as a cunning creature. The serpent, such as the cobra, is able to spread the hood around the area of its head and neck to make it appear larger to its prey and predators. Ironically, in the story it is the serpent staff that divulges the falsification of Goody Cloyse. With his serpent staff, the mysterious traveler "[touches] her withered neck with what seemed the serpent's tail" (HAWTHORNE 199). Consequently, the "pious old lady" reveals herself as a witch and a friend of the devil. As soon as Goodman Brown sees his community participating in the satanic act, and himself inevitability succumbing to evil, the serpent staff is not heard of