Goodman Brown Journey
Kay Wise
American Lit
Dr. Smith
11/19/10
Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown is a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne with many interpretations. It is a story of Young Goodman Brown’s adventure that many believe was a journey away from home. Some people believe that he was trying to get at the community and everyday social life. One way to interpret it is that Young Goodman Brown was simply taking a journey in his sleep - a dream. When reading this story, there are many ways to interpret it as a dream. Hawthorne says, “Young Goodman Brown came forth, at sunset, into the street of Salem…” (1289) which could literally mean the sun is setting and that night is coming upon him. He also says that Brown “put his head back” (1289) which could reference him lying down before bed. After this, he kisses his wife Faith, and leaves her to go on his “journey.” I feel that he is really kissing her goodnight before he goes to sleep. When he “looked back, and saw the head of the Faith still peeping after him,” he is really opening his eyes and see that she is still awake. When Goodman Brown sees that Faith is still awake he says “God bless you...and you may find all well, when …show more content…
I interpreted the companion as not the devil, which he is portrayed as, but the temptation to cheat. The character is described to have a “staff, which bears the likeness of a great black snake” (1290) which symbolizes deceitfulness when portrayed in stories. When Goodman Brown and the traveler approach the elderly woman, she screams “The Devil!” (1291) The last reference is when the companion “plucked a branch of maple…began to strip the twigs…[but] the moment his fingers touched them, they became strangely withered and dried up.” (1292). This represents the traveler taking something good (Goodman Brown’s marriage) and turning it into something bad by ‘his touch’ or the act of
American Lit
Dr. Smith
11/19/10
Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown is a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne with many interpretations. It is a story of Young Goodman Brown’s adventure that many believe was a journey away from home. Some people believe that he was trying to get at the community and everyday social life. One way to interpret it is that Young Goodman Brown was simply taking a journey in his sleep - a dream. When reading this story, there are many ways to interpret it as a dream. Hawthorne says, “Young Goodman Brown came forth, at sunset, into the street of Salem…” (1289) which could literally mean the sun is setting and that night is coming upon him. He also says that Brown “put his head back” (1289) which could reference him lying down before bed. After this, he kisses his wife Faith, and leaves her to go on his “journey.” I feel that he is really kissing her goodnight before he goes to sleep. When he “looked back, and saw the head of the Faith still peeping after him,” he is really opening his eyes and see that she is still awake. When Goodman Brown sees that Faith is still awake he says “God bless you...and you may find all well, when …show more content…
I interpreted the companion as not the devil, which he is portrayed as, but the temptation to cheat. The character is described to have a “staff, which bears the likeness of a great black snake” (1290) which symbolizes deceitfulness when portrayed in stories. When Goodman Brown and the traveler approach the elderly woman, she screams “The Devil!” (1291) The last reference is when the companion “plucked a branch of maple…began to strip the twigs…[but] the moment his fingers touched them, they became strangely withered and dried up.” (1292). This represents the traveler taking something good (Goodman Brown’s marriage) and turning it into something bad by ‘his touch’ or the act of