Evil In Young Goodman Brown

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, “Young Goodman Brown” the author retells the Adam and Eve story a twist. The temptation of evil and the search for knowledge are evident in "Young Goodman Brown." However, Hawthorne's biblical references to Adam and Eve, are inverted.. Young Goodman Brown plays the Eve role. Despite Fairth, his wife, begging him to stay with her, Brown walks into the forest at dusk. He is tempted by an old man carrying a walking stick like a "serpent's tail" (Hawthorne 271). The man admonished Brown for being late, but like Eve, Brown is not sure he should go further saying "Faith kept me back awhile" (272). As in the Garden of Eden story, Brown, like Eve, remembers that his actions have implications for others. However, he falls for the temptation to know what lies within the forest and “with this excellent resolve for the future, Goodman Brown felt himself justified in making more haste on his present evil purpose (272). Young Goodman was well aware that there was something evil to the forest, just like Eve was aware not to eat the forbidden fruit. Being conscious of the dangers that might change his life, he goes on to take the risk. Just as Faith represents Adam she is also his reason thinking twice the evil temptation. She represented the faith that Young Goodman Brown had in God. However, it can be
However the knowledge that Young Goodman Brown is after would never allow this to happen. As presented in the story Young Goodman Brown became extremely paranoid and died an unhappy man. His temptation and his success in getting what he wanted changed the way his life was forever. The temptation of evil and knowledge for the unknown are major components to Hawthorne’s story including this one. The change in gender roles of Adam and Eve along with a change in setting lead to story that can greatly represent how the apple would make a person change in a world much closer to