Young Goodman Brown Essay

According to Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic personality theory, a person has three parts to their personality. These personalities are the id, the ego and the superego. The id taps into the part of the psyche that is looking for instant gratification. With the superego, the psyche wants to have control of right and wrong, but also guilt. The superego is the moral part of a person, whereas the id just wants instant self-gratification. This leaves the mind unbalanced. But, there is a solution, the ego acts as a balance for the id and the superego. In Nathanial Hawthorne’s short story ‘‘Young Goodman Brown’’, Goodman Brown’s journey through the forest is an example of Freud’s psychoanalytical personality theory. Hawthorn’s story shows the divide of Brown’s id, ego

For Brown, as in all people, one of these personalities overcomes the other. From the first step into the forest Brown is giving into the id. Brown’s decision to leave Faith to explore the woods is based on pure impulse. He needs to know what he is going to find in the woods. Still, “Faith urged him to postpone his journey until the next day, but he said it had to be made between sunset and sunrise” (McKeithan 94). Faith says, “…prithee put off your journey until sunrise and sleep in your own bed to-night” (Hawthorn 928). Faith is doing everything she can think of to get him to stay. She even tempts him with her body and the comfort of his own bed. Both of those things many man would not be able to refuse. But, being that Brown is only focused on his wants and needs, he is ignoring the needs and wants of his wife. Even though Brown may have fears, he sticks to his plan because he needs to fulfill the needs of his id. If Brown’s “needs are not satisfied immediately, the result is a state anxiety or tension” (Cherry). As Brown makes his