Destination Gloom

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From the moment we enter this world we start a life long journey finding answers to life's hardest questions. Each of us deal with both similar, and very different questions that cause us to make decisions in what we believe. Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Young Goodman Brown" depicts a man who on his own journey discovers the devilry within people. Unfortunately he never realizes that within people there is both good and bad, he chooses to believe that all people are evil. Young Goodman Brown is an example of what can happen to someone who loses faith, because without faith in mankind we will live our lives in gloom.

Young Goodman Brown a religious puritan, and his newlywed wife faith are both portrayed as being doubtful and naive. He starts his journey by encountering his wife Faith, who doubtful of his nights journey tries to persuade him into staying home. Naively she allows him to proceed on after Brown criticizes her dubious remarks. She replies by saying " then God bless you!... and may you find all well when you come back" (220). Brown leaves her by telling himself that "after this night I'll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven" (220). He feels better that he promises a brighter future once he returns, and that he will not leave her side again . From the start of his journey he acknowledges the impious adventure he was about to take. His wife even doubted his errand, and gave him a reason to retreat from his voyage. Goodman Brown didn't want to end his journey atrocious as it was, he needed to discover for himself the truth as it may be called of mankind.

Like many people who take journeys on there own Goodman Brown needed to follow his own path. Filled with gloomy looking trees, and the darkness of...

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...rocession of children and grandchildren, both Young Goodman Brown and Faith passed away.

"Young Goodman Brown" is a tale of what can happen if you follow Goodman Brown`s path. Allowing yourself to give up on what's good can only lead to a gloominess life. "They carved no hopeful verse upon his tombstone, for his dying hour was gloom" (228). Goodman Brown died never realizing that in humanity there are those who are decorous and impious. Like all of us who go on a difficult journey we must take what we have experienced, and use it to change our lives for the better. Needless to say Brown never reached that level. We can imagine that if he allowed some faith to stay in his heart, than he could have opened up to people's good and bad sides. For all of us to learn from, allowing yourself to give up on something so essential to human life can only lead to gloom.

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