“Young Goodman Brown”: Internal Motives and Thoughts Why is it such an old story like “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne can make his readers think so deeply about the world they perceive, even in modern day? The story was created in 1835, yet how does it relate so well with today's society? Is it Brown’s common name that gives the reader the ability to connect so well? Could it be that Brown knows, even through his deep and meaningful experiences, that there's more than what he sees on the surface? Is it possible that’s the entire reason for his forbidden journey? What exactly is Brown's motive for leaving and what’s going on inside his mind? Why does Brown leave regardless of how terrified his wife, Faith, is? He doesn’t explain where or what he’s doing, so what are his initial intentions? He understands he doesn’t know what’s ahead, so why go without protection or hesitation? Does he not know there’s a cost for the forbidden knowledge he so desires to obtain? Does he not realize the possible dangers? Brown said so himself that, “there may be a devilish Indian behind every tree...what if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!” (183), so why would he go into the forest unprepared if he knew what may lurk in it? …show more content…
He essentially calls the old man a stranger when he says “...apparently in the same rank of life…” (184) when describing the man, as if they had never met; so how is he able to go to the location and know the man is the one he needs to talk to? Is there something paranormal going on? Maybe a word from a higher entity? Why is the man so keen on giving Brown the staff? The man is just a stranger after all, so how come Brown doesn’t take it? Why is the staff so significant to the old man? Why is Brown so keen on not taking it? Is it because it looks like a serpent or is there a deeper, maybe even symbolic, meaning to Brown? Why has Brown not turned back
This example reflects the change in environment for Goodman Brown after he left the positive world of the village. He felt he was passing through an unseen multitude since he could not know if there was someone concealed by the trees. This situation makes him question: "What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow" (p. 62). Goodman Brown, who wasn't aware of the existence of an evil side to the world, is being introduced to it through the natural objects in the woods, which provided a warning sign of the evil to come.
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,
chooses to move on his path to the meeting and sin. Brown decides to continue because
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown” manifests a duality of conflict – both an external conflict and an internal conflict. It is the purpose of this essay to explore both types of conflict as manifested in the story.
Symbolism, something that figuratively represents something else, is prominent in many literary works. One piece of literature that stands out as a perfect example of symbolism is Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown." This story is completely symbolic, and provides a good example of an allegory, or a story in which concrete items or characters represent abstract ideas. Hawthorne uses both objects and people as symbols to better support the allegorical tones throughout "Young Goodman Brown."
The next character is the man who Brown meets up with in the woods. This man is described as, "one who knew the world, and who would not have felt abashed at the governor's dinner table or in King William's court" (Kelly, 191). This man can be seen as the devil. He possesses features that illustrate him as the devil. For example his walking staff is described as having "the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent" (Kelly, 191-192).
The dialogue, action and motivation revolve about the characters in the story (Abrams 32-33). It is the purpose of this essay to demonstrate the types of characters present in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown,” whether static or dynamic, whether flat or round, and whether protrayed through showing or telling.
...ed by the devil tempting Brown to join the dark side. The way in which the devil lures Brown is by convincing him that his relatives and town's people have already crossed over to the dark side and denied their faith. The struggle that Brown is now facing is whether to follow is relatives and town's people or to follow his faith in god and deny the devil, that is Brown's internal conflict. These internal and external conflicts are what turned Brown into a dynamic character by the end of the story. Instead of believing and trusting that his relatives and friends are godly, he now knows that they have all been tempted by the devil and many have crossed over to the dark side; he went from being trusting to skeptical of his friends and his faith.
Clarice Swisher in “Nathaniel Hawthorne: a Biography” states: ”When Hawthorne called his stories ‘romances,’ he meant that they belong within the romantic movement that . . . . emphasize imagination and personal freedom” (18). It is the purpose of this essay to interpret the theme of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and determine where this “personal freedom” leads.
Once Brown enters the forest he meets the devil, who resembles his father. The representation of his father as the devil symbolizes that even Browns own blood is evil, and that everyone has some evil inside themselves. It shoes how far back evil goes, and that...
In 'Young Goodman Brown,'; Hawthorne makes the reader believe that Goodman Brown has learned that truth about the world and how evil it really is. In the story the accounts of Goodman Brown let you believe that he has truly seen the evil in the world and knows what lurks behind everybody masks. He makes you realize that even though the person may look holy and religious that evilness is all around us and most people will never ever find out the truth. The character Young Goodman Brown written by Nathaniel Hawthorne finds many issues of evil concerning the town's people in which he lives, about himself, and the reality behind the evil.
Goodman Brown’s wife, Faith, not only represents Goodman Brown’s wife but also his religious faith. This dual purpose of Faith only makes it harder for Goodman Brown to enter the forest and leave Faith behind (Haddock). On his way into the forest, Goodman Brown is unsure of his decision. To demonstrate this is when he states to himself, “What a wretch am I to leave her on such an errand! She talks of dreams, too. Methought as she spoke there was trouble in her face, as if a dream had warned her what work is to be done tonight. But no, no; ‘t would kill her to think it. Well, she’s a blessed angel on earth; and after this one night I’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven.” (Young Goodman Brown). When Goodman Brown meets up with his so called leader in the forest he says, “Faith kept me back awhile…” (Young Goodman Brown). This quote shows the reader that Goodman couldn’t decide between the devil and faith. During the journey, he experiences many moments of uncertainty and sinfulness and wants to turn back, it was at these times, Faith was more important to him than the traveler (Haddock).
Brown’s decision to come into the forest is incentivized by curiosity, as was Eve’s decision to eat the forbidden fruit. The staff makes clear that the old man is more evil than human and once Goodman Brown takes the staff for himself, he is on a path toward the evil side as
Throughout the story, Brown makes multiple references about his religion, “We have been a race of honest men and good christians since the days of the martyrs; and shall I be the first of the name Brown that ever took this path” (Hawthorne 2). Brown is clearly a christian, and by saying, “We have been a race of honest men and good christians,” he is referring to his family and how all of his relatives were “good christians.” Brown also sounds weary of the journey ahead because he questions if he should, “be the first of the name Brown that ever took this path.” This weariness of his adventure involving Satan is because Brown is a religious zealot and is worried what the possible meeting with the evil hearted Devil could do to his faith in christianity. Early in the story, before Brown embarks on his escapade, he says goodbye to his wife named Faith, “Say thy prayers, dear Faith, and go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee” (Hawthorne 1).
This is altered when at the beginning of the story, when he first encounters the old man with the livid serpentine staff. When addressed what took so long for Brown to appear, he tells the old man, “Faith kept him back a while” (Hawthorne). Brown is hesitant about going into the forest at night and encountering what seems to be an embodiment of the devil (historically the snake has always been a symbol for the devil) due to his love for Faith. Following their encounter, the old man starts telling Goodman about the malicious acts of not only Brown’s ancestors, but Brown’s own clergyman! Brown vigorously denies these accusations of sin by his peers by again acknowledging his wife Faith and her purity.