What Is Public Image In Young Goodman Brown
The Effect of Public Image on Christianity
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown was an interesting story illustrating the effect public image has on Christianity. We believe that certain people are less tempted and therefore don’t give in to sin as quickly as others. However, Hawthorne shows that every person is tempted by sin, regardless of their position in the community and church. Goodman Brown sets out on a journey for a night, encountering several people along the way who he considers of good Puritan faith but by morning, each of them has let him down.
When Goodman Brown prepares to leave, he kisses his wife, Faith, goodbye and sets out on his journey. Sensing something about this journey isn’t good, she asks him not to go, but …show more content…
he tells her he must go and return before sunrise. As Brown begins traveling through an overgrown forest, seemingly leery of “who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead…” (Belasco 1113 ) He meets up with a man who resembles himself, carrying a staff that looks like a black snake. The man, who represents Satan, offers Goodman Brown the staff but he refuses, saying he may return home. The man convinces him to go a little farther in hopes of tempting him to take the serpent.
As Goodman Brown begins to walk again, he protests, saying “My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him. 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 of Brown that ever took this path and kept…” (Belasco 1114 ). The man tells Brown that he was good friends with Brown’s father and grandfather and had even walked the same path with them. He also tells Goodman Brown that “deacons of many a church have drunk the communion wine with me” (Belasco 1114 ). Goodman Brown seems to have trouble believing that his family and church deacons would associate with such a person since they are such good Christian people.
As they continue, they encounter a well-respected lady named Goody Cloyse.
Ashamed to be seen with the man, Goodman Brown hides from her and lets the man walk on without him. He realizes though that she is a witch and is on her way to the same meeting that he is traveling to. Disheartened by all he has seen and heard, he tells the man he won’t go any further. The man tells Brown that he will likely change his mind. He says, “sit here and rest yourself a while; and when you feel like moving again, there is my staff to help you along.” (Belasco 1117).
As he is resting, Brown hears horses and the voices of his minister and Deacon Gookin. Realizing that they are on their way to the same ceremony, he decides that everyone he believes is good and holy is actually evil and he must return to his wife. But before he starts back to her, he hears her voice and sees the pink ribbon from her hair. Feeling that he has lost Faith, both literally and figuratively, Brown grabs the staff and is transported to the ceremony.
When he arrives, he doesn’t see Faith and hopes she isn’t there. He sees his parents and many other members of the church and community. Brown hears someone tell the congregation to bring the converts and sees a cloaked figure. When he realizes that the cloaked figure is Faith, he asks her to resist temptation and then is suddenly alone in the
forest.
The next morning, when Brown returns to his village, he views everyone differently. Prior to his journey the night before, he believed them all to be infallible because they were Christians. After the ceremony, he realizes that everyone is susceptible to temptation and no one is perfect. In fact, he believes they are all evil. He spends the rest of his life distrustful of everyone, including his wife, Faith.
Young Goodman Brown was, at first, difficult for me to read as I tend to be a very literal reader and the symbolism was confusing for me. However, as I continued reading and in many places re-read, I began to understand Hawthorne’s message and I found it to be very interesting. I think many times, church leaders are held to a higher standard and sometimes are viewed as infallible when they should be considered human and forgiven as everyone else is.
Susan, Belasco and Linck Johnson. The Bedford Anthology of American Literature. “Young Goodman Brown” 1113-1122. Print.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown was an interesting story illustrating the effect public image has on Christianity. We believe that certain people are less tempted and therefore don’t give in to sin as quickly as others. However, Hawthorne shows that every person is tempted by sin, regardless of their position in the community and church. Goodman Brown sets out on a journey for a night, encountering several people along the way who he considers of good Puritan faith but by morning, each of them has let him down.
When Goodman Brown prepares to leave, he kisses his wife, Faith, goodbye and sets out on his journey. Sensing something about this journey isn’t good, she asks him not to go, but …show more content…
he tells her he must go and return before sunrise. As Brown begins traveling through an overgrown forest, seemingly leery of “who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead…” (Belasco 1113 ) He meets up with a man who resembles himself, carrying a staff that looks like a black snake. The man, who represents Satan, offers Goodman Brown the staff but he refuses, saying he may return home. The man convinces him to go a little farther in hopes of tempting him to take the serpent.
As Goodman Brown begins to walk again, he protests, saying “My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him. 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 of Brown that ever took this path and kept…” (Belasco 1114 ). The man tells Brown that he was good friends with Brown’s father and grandfather and had even walked the same path with them. He also tells Goodman Brown that “deacons of many a church have drunk the communion wine with me” (Belasco 1114 ). Goodman Brown seems to have trouble believing that his family and church deacons would associate with such a person since they are such good Christian people.
As they continue, they encounter a well-respected lady named Goody Cloyse.
Ashamed to be seen with the man, Goodman Brown hides from her and lets the man walk on without him. He realizes though that she is a witch and is on her way to the same meeting that he is traveling to. Disheartened by all he has seen and heard, he tells the man he won’t go any further. The man tells Brown that he will likely change his mind. He says, “sit here and rest yourself a while; and when you feel like moving again, there is my staff to help you along.” (Belasco 1117).
As he is resting, Brown hears horses and the voices of his minister and Deacon Gookin. Realizing that they are on their way to the same ceremony, he decides that everyone he believes is good and holy is actually evil and he must return to his wife. But before he starts back to her, he hears her voice and sees the pink ribbon from her hair. Feeling that he has lost Faith, both literally and figuratively, Brown grabs the staff and is transported to the ceremony.
When he arrives, he doesn’t see Faith and hopes she isn’t there. He sees his parents and many other members of the church and community. Brown hears someone tell the congregation to bring the converts and sees a cloaked figure. When he realizes that the cloaked figure is Faith, he asks her to resist temptation and then is suddenly alone in the
forest.
The next morning, when Brown returns to his village, he views everyone differently. Prior to his journey the night before, he believed them all to be infallible because they were Christians. After the ceremony, he realizes that everyone is susceptible to temptation and no one is perfect. In fact, he believes they are all evil. He spends the rest of his life distrustful of everyone, including his wife, Faith.
Young Goodman Brown was, at first, difficult for me to read as I tend to be a very literal reader and the symbolism was confusing for me. However, as I continued reading and in many places re-read, I began to understand Hawthorne’s message and I found it to be very interesting. I think many times, church leaders are held to a higher standard and sometimes are viewed as infallible when they should be considered human and forgiven as everyone else is.
Susan, Belasco and Linck Johnson. The Bedford Anthology of American Literature. “Young Goodman Brown” 1113-1122. Print.