Young Goodman Brown

353 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: One theme of young goodman brown

Setting plays a major role in Goodman Brown’s journey to losing his faith. It gives a strong foundation to cause him to doubt what he has always believed in. Once he leaves his wife at the beginning of the story, he goes into a dark and scary forest at night. No normal human being would go into such a place alone at night if there was no reason to. The forest contains plants and animals, but it is not full of life. It is a dull and dead place to lose oneself and sever contact with the outside world. Only evil could come out of such a place. Nathaniel Hawthorne shows us that the forest is no place for God, religion, or prayer by saying: “He gazed upward...and had lifted his hands to pray, a cloud, though no wind was stirring, hurried across the zenith, and hid the brightening stars. The Blue sky was still visible, except directly overhead (342).”

Nathaniel Hawthorne also uses symbolism to illustrate the loss of faith and start of doubt with the pink ribbons that belong to Faith. When the couple say goodbye as the journey into the forest begins, she is wearing the pink ribbons. They are very happy and everything is perfect

between them. However, once Goodman Brown realizes that his beloved wife is taking part in rituals that he is against, he discovers “something fluttered lightly down through the air, and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it and beheld a pink ribbon (343).” This pink ribbon tells Goodman Brown that he has possibly lost everything. Hawthorne illustrates how Young Goodman Brown begins to lose his faith and starts to doubt everyone and everything around him because nothing is as he thought it was.

Show More
Related

  • Paranoia In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

    1213 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the first paragraph, it is described as “Faith, as the wife was aptly named, [who] thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap while she called to Goodman Brown” (310). As one can see, Faith is described as a pretty woman, who is possibly young because young girls usually wear ribbons. Children are known for their innocence and purity, so perhaps these ribbons represent this idea. The author repeatedly mentions her ribbons throughout the story, pointing towards a significant meaning. In the middle of Young Goodman Brown’s expedition in the forest, he explains that “But something fluttered lightly down through the air and caught on the branch of the tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon. ‘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.’” (315) Goodman Brown discusses the devil and exclaims how nothing is just in this world. The ribbon fluttering down from the sky suggests that Faith has lost her purity and has turned to sin. This seems a little paranoid, as Goodman Brown assumes that his wife resorted to transgression. In fact, this paranoia is more exposed when he is talking to himself and saying things like “Faith! Faith…Look up to heaven, and resist the wicked one.”

    Read More

  • Hawthorne’s Exploits and Irving’s Miscues

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hawthorne incorporates symbols into his story in a powerful way, however Irving’s symbols are not equally powerful. Hawthorne uses Faith’s pink ribbon to symbolize her purity. The ribbon is fitting because the color pink is associated with virginity and purity. The color is commonly worn by young girls when they are young and pure. The ribbon allows the audience to assume that Faith, like her name, is a religious young woman who lives her life by the holy bible. The action of the ribbon can even change it’s symbolism. While Brown is in the woods he sees Faith’s pink ribbon soar through the sky, symbolizing her loss of purity and entrance into the devil’s dominion. The second powerful symbol that Hawthorne incorporates is the staff that the old man offers Brown in the woods. The staff symbolizes Brown’s temptation o...

    Read More

  • Young Goodman Brown Good Vs Evil

    1423 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before young Goodman Brown begins his journey, he says his farewells to his wife, Faith, who is reluctant to see him go. “And Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap while she called to Goodman Brown. ‘Dearest heart,’ whispered she…, ‘prithee put off your journey until sunrise and sleep in your own bed to-night…’ ‘My love and my Faith,’ replied young Goodman Brown, ‘of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee…’” (Hawthorne pg. 1). Before departing on his “journey”, Goodman Brown bids goodbye to his wife. Faith’s pink ribbons are not only a symbol of the innocence and purity of Faith, but also for the innocent and immature views of Goodman Brown, who has until his journey into the woods, only seen the unblemished and holy side of his fellow townspeople rather than understanding that almost all people, good and bad alike, will carry some kind of sin. After entering the woods, Goodman Brown meets a man dressed in “grave and decent attire” who greets the goodman upon seeing him. “‘You are late, Goodman Brown,’ said he. ‘The clock of the Old South was striking as I came through Boston, and that is full fifteen minutes agone.’ ‘Faith kept me back a

    Read More

  • No Romance Found in Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

    570 Words  | 2 Pages

    Furthermore, there is no evidence of his trust for her in the marriage.   Immediately after witnessing a pink ribbon fluttering down onto the branch of a tree, Young Goodman Brown cries out, " my Faith is gone! " By this statement, Goodman means that his wife has physically gone over to the devil and that his faith in her is gone.   This, thereby proves the absence of trust in his wife.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Young Goodman Brown And Young Goodman Brown

    1262 Words  | 3 Pages

    For Young Goodman Brown, the tangible object that represents his innocence is his wife Faith. Faith, his wife, with her pink ribbons embodies his purity and innocence, “And Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap while she called to Goodman Brown” (Hawthorne 1). Here Faith seems young, free and innocent as she lets the wind play with her pink ribbons. Faith does not want Young Goodman Brown to leave her alone for the night, yet he does anyway. If he had simply just stayed home as his Faith wanted, he never would have walked with the Devil or almost given up his innocence. An online source entitled “Color Psychology” calls pink a representation of “[...]the sweetness ...

    Read More

  • Young Goodman Brown Analysis

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Use Of The Devil In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

    1168 Words  | 3 Pages

    Young Goodman Brown loved Faith and thought that she was pure and good. Faith’s ribbons were also seen in the forest at the end of the journey, which placed an emphasis on the importance of her goodness. The devil’s trickery enticed Brown to continue his journey. In most testimonies the color of “Faith” is white. Perhaps Hawthorne was hinting, with the pink ribbon, that Faith was not as pure and good as Brown attempted to make her appear. When Brown began to contemplate the existence of faith and purity, it revealed to the reader that his faith in God, which had been solid, was now weakened. Hawthorne, in this section, stated that the devil would use the people closest to Brown to attempt to change his thoughts about his religion and faith. Young Goodman Brown saw that all of his friends had sinned and that “faith” (both being his belief and his wife) was not as strong and powerful as he once thought. “Taking into account that Brown’s society is hypocritical and based its beliefs strongly on the potency of the community, his dissents to the common proceedings can be seen as sin.” (“Hawthorne’s Wilderness: Nature and Puritanism in Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter and Young Goodman

    Read More

  • Young Goodman Brown

    1882 Words  | 4 Pages

    Young Goodman Brown undergoes the hero’s journey in the story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The hero’s journey is a common guideline of events that many writers use in stories to show the physical, mental, and/or emotional transformation the main character or protagonist undergoes throughout the story. It starts with a call to adventure and a supernatural aid. It is then followed by a road of trials and a symbolic death. In the end, the character has a moment of epiphany or realization and then a return. Hawthorne uses all of these in order to show the loss of innocence in Young Goodman Brown as he experiences the hero’s journey.

    Read More

  • Ambiguity and Uncertainty in Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

    1518 Words  | 4 Pages

    The ambiguity surrounding Young Goodman Brown's wife, Faith, immediately becomes apparent at the story's beginning. As Young Goodman Brown is leaving his comfortable and reverent Puritan home to embark upon this mysterious journey, Faith unexpectedly plunges her "pretty head into the street" allowing the wind to tousle and "play with the pink ribbons of her cap"(1199). Hawthorne uses natural imagery, such as the image of the wind "playing" with Faith's pink ribbons, to convey Faith's attachment to nature; the dark and mysterious part of life that is somewhere outside the constraints of Puritan society. In fact, the image...

    Read More

  • Young Goodman Brown's Transformation

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...to the woods transforms him from an overly trusting, naïve man into a cynical, and corrupted man. Before his life changing journey, goodman Brown is unknowing of all the sin that goes on around him. He believes that everyone he knows is perfect and without sin. This changes when he takes a trip through the forest. His eyes are opened in a sense, but maybe too wide. Goodman Brown becomes paranoid about everyone in the village including his wife, Faith. He also becomes corrupted and unable to focus on his religious activities that he has always done before. Fundamentally, faith is something that Brown gave away freely to anyone but, rather, should be given moderately.

    Read More

  • Young Goodman Brown: Good vs Evil

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of the story Hawthorne uses the name Faith for Young Goodman Browns’ wife. Faith is a symbol of her husband’s strong faith in God. Young Goodman Browns’ own name is a symbol for the innocence of young, good men, and the journey represents the loss of their innocence. Faith urges him to stay and not journey into the forest, but Goodman Brown reassures her by saying “Say thy prayers, dear Faith, and go to bed at dusk, and no harm will come to thee”(cite) Goodman Brown believes his faith will help him overcome what the devil has to offer and while still maintaining his puritan faith. Puritans believe the forest to be inhabited by the devil and the woods in "Young Goodman Brown" are an obvious symbol of his journey into sin and darkness. Even Goodman Brown supports this idea when he says to himself as he is walking along, "There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree... What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!" As Goodman Brown enters the forest he meets a traveler who is waiting there for ...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Rip Van Winkkle And Rip Van Winkle

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Loss Of Innocence In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the story "Young Goodman Brown", Nathaniel Hawthorne uses a dream to illustrate a young man’s loss of innocence, understanding of religion and his community. Through this dream, the main character Young Goodman realizes that the people that he surrounds himself with are not who he believes them to be. The story of “Young Goodman Brown” focuses on the unconscious mind. The characters in this short-story are able to represent the struggle of Young Goodman’s superego, ego, and id.

    Read More

  • Young Goodman Brown

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    Being the wildly religious Puritan he is, Goodman Brown sets of into the forest on a quest to find evil and relinquish its temptations once and for all. Brown expresses that by doing so he will gain some unworldly benefit when he states “ . . . after this one night I’ll cling to her [his wife, Faith] skirts and follow her to heaven” (444).

    Read More

  • The Journey of Young Goodman Brown

    629 Words  | 2 Pages

    Goodman Brown, a young man who was only married for three months, left his home and his wife, Faith, to go into the forest and spend the night on some mission that he will not explain. Even though Faith has strong feelings about his journey and begs him not to leave, Brown has made his decision and leaves everything behind. Faith is appropriately named, because she represents Browns faith and what he believes in. The name is genuine, religious and hopeful. It represents the good side of Brown and his hope for life. He feels bad for leaving her because he knows what he is about to do is evil and goes against his faith. Brown swears that after this night he will be good and not do anything evil again and vow his life to Faith. Brown is upset about leaving her because he knows that what he is about to do in the forest is evil and goes against his Faith. Hawthorne describes Browns journey as "crossing the threshold", meaning that he is going from one part of his life to another, he is leaving the genuine good side to go to the bad evil side.

    Read More

More about Young Goodman Brown

Open Document