Goodman Brown Perception

Perceptions of Young Goodman Brown

In "Young Goodman Brown", Nathaniel Hawthorne makes visible the perception we have of what is chaste and amoral by showing Goodman Brown that the people perceived as being the most holy are just as guilty of immoral thoughts. The naming of Goodman Brown is that it could be anyone that has to face these moral issues between good and evil. It is an everyday occurrence for us to want to test the waters of evil. The story is a reflection of existence, being that each has a path to take and decisions to make. Young Goodman Brown decides to venture forth into the realm of unknown by a yearning unknown to him. He meets up with a traveling companion who is an elderly reflection. He caries

His wife pleads for his stay, only to be denied. She speaks of dreams to Goodman Brown, he reflects on this and denies any unnerving thoughts. Goodman Brown comforts himself by convincing himself that this one deed will be the last, he will then never leave Faith again. He is asking for forgiveness since he is about to cross the line of good and evil. If he can just take leave of his virtuous living for one night, he will forever be at Faith's side. His journey leads him along a dark avenue into the woods. His traveling companion awaits his arrival, and his tardiness is blamed on his Faith. Goodman Brown is quick to note that he still has Faith, but he will journey this one time. After time passes, Goodman Brown begins to realize his mistake for taking leave this late evening. His Faith is far from him now and he would like to adhere to her wishes. He fights to take leave of his companion, but his will is too weak. Unconsciously he continues forward. Brown questions the stranger and does not know of such evil existing in his family, but the stranger conveys to Goodman Brown the past experience he has had with his relatives. He believes that he has nothing to give to this stranger, no important stature is he for he is a common man. He lives a good life and believes in the goodness of all. Goodman Brown depends on his wife, Faith, for his safeguarding. She is his symbol of all that is pure in

There ye stand ... Welcome, again, my children, to the communion of your race!", it is the Devil telling Goodman Brown that this is the way it is so he is to just accept it and come forth for the union. It is a time for all to unite as for we are all the same inside. It is a way for evil to deceive mankind by deluding your thoughts. The stranger is showing Goodman Brown that there is no purity in man, evil is within you and therefore can not be overcome. We are given free will to choose between right and wrong, but we each define the terms. We choose to bid evil and evil will conquer as long as choices are available. The communion of your race is saying that we are all equal in our private ways, even though our fellow eyes see quite the opposite. We are imperfect molds of the divine creator left to the despair of evil. The passage is stating that we are not to fight our urges, but to go with the flow, so to say. Open your eyes to the corruptness that surrounds us and embrace it. The stranger or Devil, is stating that "Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness." , meaning it is within us all, so therefore we must welcome