Nathaniel Hawthrone's story, “Young Goodman Brown”, is an allegorical tale about a man who is having a psychological battling between what he perceives as good and evil. Brown sees the people of the religious town he lives in as pure, while he sees himself as impure. To prove to himself that he is indeed still a righteous man he embarks on a journey to meet with the devil. During the journey Brown realizes the reality of humanities imperfections. Thus, Goodman Brown's psychological journey into the forest demonstrates his ambivalence and ambiguity toward his religious faith.
Brown's ambivalence toward his religious faith causes ambiguous feelings and thoughts which later leads him to what he believes at the end of the story to be reality.
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At the beginning of the story it is already apparent that Brown has some sort of secret sin that he is ashamed of.
He embarks on a dangerous journey meeting evil to help himself understand the answer to exactly why he is inadequate to his society. In doing so leaving “Faith” behind as it will keep him back further showing his ambivalence and ambiguity toward his religion.“'My love and my Faith,' replied young Goodman Brown, 'of all the nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee. My Journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done 'twixt now and sunrise” (Hawthrone 1). The moment this statement was made Brown temporally abandons “Faith”, in the since of not only his wife, but his religious integrity because as a puritan you were to believe in predestination. If Brown was not ambivalent toward his religious faith this statement would have been avoided. If one were to have faith it must never be abandoned, by abandoning it Brown demonstrates his willingness to leave what he believes in. By temporarily leaving his wife he is demonstrating mankind’s perpetual needs to seek knowledge, but unless one is unclear that knowledge does not need to be found. Further showing Browns ambiguity …show more content…
towards his reality. Note that Brown deserts faith to meet with the devil, when faith is lost one is vulnerable to corruption. Corruption that will change a man entirely making there version of life different from that of society. “Niether has Brown given himself to the Devil nor is he leaving Faith definitively… what is important is that Brown deserts Faith and goes into the forest to meet the Devil in a highly tentative venture. He has not firmly decided” (Paulits 578). According to Paulits Brown temporarily abandons “Faith” and does not get enveloped by the devils sinister ways. The journey is long, but he hasn't given up faith on his religious integrity as of yet. Thus, demonstrating Brown's ambivalence as he still can't decide whether he is good or evil. As he carries the burden of his hidden sin across his journey. Brown's ambivalence is obvious from the start of the story; Faith, symbolizing two things, is something he doesn't want to abandon, but is still unsure if what he believes to be true is even real. Hawthrone's character Goodman Brown embarks on a journey that vastly alters his conception on religion, sin, and humanity.
The time set in the story correlates with the same time as the Salem witch trails. Puritans during this time lived for one purpose to serve the will of god. Religion was the most important aspect for puritan society during this time. Used as a means to control the masses, anything that goes against the word of god is a sin, Brown's adventure to meet the devil would have been considered a sin. A sin that he believes no one, but him has committed. As he states, “'Too far! Too far!' exclaimed the goodman, unconsciously resuming his walk. 'My father never went into the woods… shall I be the first of the name of Brown that ever took this path and kept.'” (Hawthrone 2). Brown believes that he is the only one to go about this journey because he is currently ignorant to humanities hidden sins. Brown's hidden sin in this case is the journey itself, the only thing not known in the story is Brown's hidden or perceived to be hidden sin. The sin itself is not something that happened, but something that is currently happening. Brown even before the journey began had doubts about his religious faith, in doing so instantiates his hidden sin as the journey. If true his journey from the start was doomed to fail, he himself was never pure, and the reality of the humanity he was living in was false because of his ignorance. As Levy states, “The bargain he has struck with
Satan is the universal one, reinforced by such signs as the innocence with which he convinces himself that he can turn aside from his convenant and the assurances he offers himself of his good intentions” (Levy 376). Leo B. Levy points out Brown's, symbolized as “everyman”, ignorant position on what is good and evil. Brown foolishly believes that he can walk into the abyss of evil and come out just as he did before. Levy states that brown like “everyman” takes the easy bargain with the devil either because they are ignorant or they believe that because of their religion that they are safe. Often this ignorant ideal is not the case and so in his blindness he continues on with his journey, symbolizing his hidden sin, realizing by the end of the story the untold harsh reality of humanities sins. Thus, Brown's journey into the forest alters his conception of the people around him, but not himself. The Devil in Hawthorne's, “Young Goodman Brown”, is a symbol of evil, knowledge, power, and past sins. The devil appears to look like Goodman Brown, which indicates that it may be Brown's dark half or it is symbol representing the fact that everyone has the capability for evil. In this instance the devil happens to be the embodiment of everything wrong with mankind. He carries a staff that looks like a serpent because of Hawthorne’s use of biblical references in the story the serpent is a clear indication of knowledge. Knowledge that can be obtained by everyday man if they accept the truth of the darkness inside of them. As Hawthorne states, “ 'Wickedness or not,' said the travellar with the twisted staff, 'I have a very general acquaintance here in New England. The deacons of many church have drunk the communion wine with me; the selectmen of divers town make me their chairman….' ” (Hawthorne 3). The devil in the story appears to be your every average day person, which is a clear indication that there are evils hidden in plain sight even within the apparent virtuous confines of society. The story's stance on the devil being within every aspect of society only strengthens the resolve that humanities hidden bowl of truth is filled with evil, repugnance, and sin. Which may be an indication that there is no devil. That mankind is evil and the devil in this instance is a symbol of mankind perpetual evil. As Hurley states, “He asks the Devil several questions whose purpose seems to be to keep him from evil… But the Devil (or pyschic rationalization) assures him that his family, his neighbors, and leaders of his church are far more stained by the blackness of sin than he” (Hurley 414). According to Hurley the devil is a symbol of mankind’s often hidden evils and that everyone has the ability to commit atrocity. Further advancing Brown's knowledge as he is no longer ignorant to everyone in his society hidden evils and sins. Many hide those sins to achieve a better standing in the perpetual calamity known as society. Calamity in the sense that humanity will always find a way destroy its self. Thus, the devil is not an active living being, but rather the evils and sins within society, he is used in this story to show Brown that he is not the only one that embarks of the hidden sin known in the story as the journey.
First, we will start with Goodman Brown. He is the main character in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story titled “Young Goodman Brown”. “Hawthorne could not escape the influence of Puritan society” (McCabe). I think that Hawthorne’s own past is and complications are reveled in his story about Goodman Brown. I believe that Goodman Brown has had a rough past and is trying to reach beyond his past in order to reach heaven. Goodman has some major problems with his wife, Faith, and everyone else in his community. I think that he is seeing everyone as perfect people, but he is having impure thoughts about himself and his past. In order to deal with these problems within himself, he is making up that everyone has this awful bad side. When he goes into the forest, he believes he is talking to the devil with looks much like his grandfather. The devil is feeding him bad thoughts about everyone he knows, even his own father and his wife Faith. Next, I believe that Goodman Brown has had a rough past and in order for him to overcome this within himself he must search for attention. This attention may not be needed from his wife or community members, I believe it is needed from him. He is feeling overwhelmed with obligations from his wife and peers that he has no time to decide whether this type of life is right for him. So, in search for the answer to his questions about life, he turns to the devil and takes his...
"Young Goodman Brown" begins when Faith, Brown's wife, asks him not to go on an "errand". Goodman Brown says to his "love and (my) Faith" that "this one night I must tarry away from thee." When he says his "love" and his "Faith", he is talking to his wife, but he is also talking to his "faith" to God. He is venturing into the woods to meet with the Devil, and by doing so, he leaves his unquestionable faith in God with his wife. He resolves that he will "cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven." This is an example of the excessive pride because he feels that he can sin and meet with the Devil because of this promise that he made to himself. There is a tremendous irony to this promise because when Goodman Brown comes back at dawn; he can no longer look at his wife with the same faith he had before.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s allegorical story “Young Goodman Brown” is set in Salem, Massachusetts during the late sixteen hundreds in a time of religious hysteria and only a few generations after the infamous witch trials. Although "Young Goodman Brown" is a fictional tale, it is based on the cynical environment of Salem during this time period. The short story is filled with many literary elements, leading you to question what did exactly happen to the main character at the conclusion. When analyzing a story like "Young Goodman Brown", one must recognize that the story is at whole symbolic. In the text, symbols are used to uncover the truth of the characters. The role of Faith as both a character and a spiritual element are crucial to both the story and the character of Young Goodman Brown.
During Goodman Brown’s journey, he recognized Goody Cloyse, his catechism teacher, the preacher, and Deacon Gookin is going to the devil’s meeting. However, after seeing his church members at the devil’s meeting, Goodman says, “My Faith is gone! and There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come devil! for to thee is this world given” (Hawthorne 27). “But, where is Faith?”, asked Goodman Brown (Hawthorne 29). As hope came into his heart, he trembled when he found the pink ribbon of his wife, Faith, in the forest. At that moment, Goodman Brown lost his faith in his family and church members. Goodman becomes unforgiving of others and believes only evil can be created from evil and there is nothing that anyone can do to change it. Here, Hawthorne demonstrates that a naive faith in our family, friends, and church member’s righteousness could lead to distrust. While, “Young Goodman Brown” lives a long life with Faith, he never loses his meanness toward humanity and the evil in the world, “for his dying hour was gloom” (Hawthorne
The overall tone for the passage is more skeptical in the beginning as Brown tries to figure out his stand on the subject of his Puritan faith, however, it shifts towards a traffic tenor at the end as he lives with the consequences of his choices from the night in the woods when he decided to walk along side with the weary old traveler. The symbolism of this passage is so robust, with such great significance behind it. Young Brown proclaims during his journey, “‘Faith! Faith!’ as if bewildered wretches were seeking her, all through the wilderness… ‘My Faith is gone!’ cried he, after one stupefied moment. ‘There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name’” (Hawthorne 251). The symbolism of this passage is so strong, with such great significance behind it. As he shouts from the rooftops that he has lost his wife Faith, which can be inferred to be his own personal faith. Sheer panic filled the air once he realizes that he had turned away from his heritage, involuntary choosing to eliminate his faith from his life. How did he lose his faith within that night? He chose to follow the traveler with the serpent staff, casted as the devil, as the walk along in the woods, representing hell. Just like the devil tempted Jesus, he did so with Brown,
In the same way, Hawthorne uses faith symbolically again to represent Goodman Brown own faith in God. As the story begins we see Faith pleading with Goodman brown not to go on the journey but to stay home with her. Hawthorne shows that Goodman has strong faith before he departs for his journey and sometimes in the deep forests, by the way in which he replies to faith as to reassure that his faith will not be weakened by anything he comes across in his journey the author states " 'Amen! ' Cried Goodman Brown 'Say thy prayers, dear Faith, and go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee '" (Hawthorne). So we see that Goodman brown not only knows the consequences he will encounter, but he welcomes it because of the curiosity and will that inflame his heart. He acknowledges his motives and he "felt justified in making more haste on his present evil purpose" (Hawthorne). Even though he knows what he’s about to do is evil and sinful, Goodman
...dman Brown cries out “My Faith is gone! There is no good on earth and sin is but a name. Come devil! For to thee is this world given”(cite). This where he begins to believe there is only sin in the world and his faith in humanity is completely destroyed. He still vows to stand firm against the devil, however he has doubts that heaven exists at all. With his loss of humanity he can no longer look at his fellow neighbors, which he had once held with high esteem, he now views as sinful and hypocritical. The faith that did shine in his heart the darkness of the world has tainted the idea that life is good and pure. Goodman Brown is completely consumed by his doubts and he is a distrustful and unable to have any sympathy or love to others. He never recovers his faith and even after death his family had nothing to say good about him, “for his dying hour was gloom”(cite).
Hawthorne uses symbolism to imply that when individuals lose their faith in the goodness of mankind, they may begin to imagine that their peers have yielded to temptation. The character of Faith is Goodman Brown's spouse, but she is also a symbol of his faith in mankind. Brown's relationship with Faith changes as the story progresses, from tender and caring love to judgmental scorn. Brown's thoughts about Faith as he leaves on his journey are: "Poor little Faith...she's a blessed angel on earth; and after this one night, I'll cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven"(212). This statement shows that the protagonist has a deep love for his faith and knows that it can be his salvation. Later in the journey Brown offers his faith as the last reason to abort his walk with the devil: "Well, then, to end the matter at once,... there is my wife, Faith. It would break her dear little heart; and I'd rather break my own!" (214). At this point his faith is still more important to him than his own life. Later, just...
Goodman Brown heads into the forest for an undetermined journey. Which is assumed that he is going out to do one last act of sin then come back and stay faithful to his wife Faith. Goodman Brown 's wife Faith is a symbol for his religious faith. Before his voyage he is held up by Faith. " 'pr 'y thee, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed to-night. A lone women is troubled with such dreams and such thoughts, that she 's afeard of herself, sometimes. Pray, tarry with me this night, dear husband, of all nights in the year!" ' (Hawthorne ). Goodman Brown goes on his journey in the woods and when he talks to the man that he comes across in the forest he says that he knows Goodman Brown 's family. " 'Well said, Goodman Brown! I have been as wee acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and that 's no trifle to say. I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker women so smartly through the streets of Salem. And it was I that brought your father a pitch-pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to an Indian village, In King Philip 's War. They were my good friends, both; and many a pleasant walk have we had along this path, and returned merrily after midnight. I would fain be friends with you, for their sake. '" (Hawthorne ). Goodman Brown then begins to see all of the
Brown begins the journey believing that his forefathers are innocent, good men, but the devil tells Brown that he has been, "…well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and that’s no trifle to say" (Kelly, 192). Brown's forefathers become equated with the devil. The people of the town are also displaced as the devil. The devil tells Brown, "I have a very general acquaintance here in New England. The deacons of many a church have drunk the communion wince with me; the selectmen of divers towns make me their chairman; and a majority of the Great and General Court are firm supporters of my interest, The governor and I, too----But these are state secrets" (Kelly, 192-93).
From the beginning of Hawthorne’s story a test of faith prevails. From the moment that Young Goodman Brown parts with his wife, Faith, to when they meet again at the heart of the forest, the very manner Young Goodman Brown has been taught his entire life is at stake. Yet it is not so much Goodman Brown’s faith in God that is the concern but whether or not Goodman Brown feels he can trust anyone or anything he has ever come to know and believe in. Society has preconditioned him to think a certain way, thus through this journey Young Goodman Brown cannot deal with the new Puritan life he witnesses. Since he is unsure of what his society is truly like Goodman Brown is now incapable of knowing his place in society and knowing whom he really is.
...Brown, like all humans, sees that everyone can be corrupt and immoral, that it is possible for people to make mistakes. This is extremely disappointing to brown and ruins him. Brown felt that he made the right decision and did not follow the devil, but everyone else around him did. Even his own wife follows the devil. She is supposed to represent holiness and faith, and she is just as corrupt as everyone else. This portrays how even the church, which is supposed to be holy, can be corrupt. The story symbolizes that everyone in society is flawed and no one is perfect. However this idea drives Goodman brown to become insane. He dwells on this fact and loses his ability to see the good in people as well as the bad. Brown couldn't realize that even if people are evil at times, they can still be good people. This is what caused brown to change so drastically.
Mrs. Leavis comes closest to the truth in her discussion of this story in the Sewanee Review in which she says: "Hawthorne has imaginatively recreated for the reader that Calvinist sense of sin, that theory which did in actuality shape the early social and spiritual history of New England." But Mrs. Leavis seems to miss the critical implications of the story, for she goes on to say: "But in Hawthorne, by a wonderful feat of transmutation, it has no religious significance, it is a psychological state that is explored. Young Goodman Brown's Faith is not faith in Christ but faith in human beings, and losing it he is doomed to isolation forever." Those who persist in reading this story as a study of the effects of sin on Brown come roughly to this conclusion: "Goodman Brown became evil as a result of sin and thought he saw evil where none existed." Hawthorne's message is far more depressing and horrifying than this. The story is obviously an individual tragedy, and those who treat it as such are right, of course; but, far beyond the personal plane, it has universal implications.
“Young Goodman Brown”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, delves into the classic battle between good and evil; taking the protagonist, Goodman Brown, on a journey to test the resolve of his faith. Goodman ventures out on his expedition deep into the sinister forest, in order to repudiate the attempt of the devil to sway him from Christianity; a test he believes his devout faith is prepared to confront. Goodman Brown is forever altered in ways unforeseeable by taking a stroll with the ultimate antagonist, the devil himself. The prevailing theme in this literary work, which is common in Hawthorne’s gothic writing, is the realization that evil can infect people who seem perfectly respectable. Throughout the course of his journey, Goodman Brown discovers that even highly reputable people of Salem are vulnerable to the forces of darkness.
Young Goodman Brown encounters many evils when traveling through the woods alone. Being set in a Puritan setting and having Young Goodman Brown be from a Puritan town, he is innocent and afraid of the influence of the devil. However, he continues past all of these evil influencers until he finally meets the devil himself. Goodman Brown eventually escapes this encounter and it changes him. Young Goodman Brown becomes angry and distrustful of everyone around him and keeps to himself. He even snatches a child away from the supposed witch, Goody Cloyse, because he had seen her talking to the devil in the woods and saying, “The devil! … Ah, forsooth, and it is your worship, indeed?” (393) Steven Olsen who wrote an article titled “A History of the American Mind: ‘Young Goodman Brown.’” goes as far to say that for Young Goodman Brown, “He needs to hide himself, his own evil, from them, and he needs to shield himself from the fact that there might be evil in them. In effect, in this complex and conflicting psychological state Brown must isolate himself from his community and hide himself from himself.” (Olsen) This is a big contrast from the Goodman Brown that is during the beginning of the short story who was outgoing