Preview

Young Goodman Brown Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
656 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Young Goodman Brown Analysis
Young Goodman Brown Analysis

The gloom Young Goodman Brown is feeling from the truth he discovers during the night is completely justified. How could it not be after such a traumatic experience? His entire image of the world around him was shattered. The people he new and looked up to, were not what he spent his life believing them to be. There are many passages by Young Goodman Brown that portray these thoughts, feeling, loss of innocence, and changes to his perception in the short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. What immediately stood out to me was the sweet exchange of words Goodman and Faith had, at the train station before his departure. Faith had bad dreams and negative thoughts about Goodman’s trip and does not want him to leave. Goodman replies, “My love and my Faith, of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee.” This line was the best. I have never heard a better way to tell a woman that I can not spend time with her. This line will be used by me at some time in my life. I wonder how much better Goodman’s life would have been if he would have listened to faith. Goodman regarded Faith as his anchor to everything that is right in the world. Faith, with her pink ribbons, is what could right any of the wrongs that might happen to him on his trip. “After this one night I’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven,” he tells himself in the fashion of a silent prayer, pleading to make it through the night. I see this concept, of using Faith as a prayer, when he meditates on the phrase, “what calm sleep would be his that very night, which was to have been spent so wickedly, but so purely and sweetly now, in the arms of Faith! Amidst these pleasant and praiseworthy meditations.” It seemed as if everyone from the village had a relationship with the devil. “I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman so smartly through the streets of Salem: and it was I that brought your father a

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Despite being an educated man, Hale is fully embracing the witch-hunt and keeps advocating it. The people of Salem are too afraid to question the validity of the witchcraft claims because even “God thought him beautiful in Heaven” -an hour before the Devil fell-. How can common men of Salem identify the Devil correctly? “Ancient friendships” are no longer relevant because anyone, even a close friend can be in the league with the Devil. Although it is not important whether the person is a Devil-worshipper or not because the people of Salem do not “dare not quail to follow wherever the accusing finger points”, Hale himself appears to believe that anyone accused has the potential of being a Devil-worshipper and worth to be interrogated. Since the way of the Devil is “so subtle” that the people of Salem “should be criminal” even to trust their friends now. The small bits of evidence seem to be forced or plotted, but according to Hale, all such proofs were real, “frightful”, and more than enough to be used to convict the accused. There appears to be a very thin line between being a devote Christian and a devil-worshipper, even to sensible Mr. Hale.…

    • 1306 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In his case, he ends up losing faith in humanity as well because his expedition along a dark path led to his uncertainty. For Brown loses the good in him too within the darkness he encounters. Once Goodman loses his faith, he becomes a changed man since he recognizes there is no good on earth without this strong, unyielding belief (392). Then again, Goodman gives up on his God afterwards because he ends up treating Faith coldly towards the end. As a result, his experience allows his fears to take over because Brown abandons both his faith (wife, town and religion). Since he allowed his experience to affect his way of thinking, he too joins the hypocrites in his society as he goes against his sermons and begins to judge others. In the process, he also deserts God thus his future life after the forest incident turns him into a hopeless person suggestive of the version he saw in the darkness (Dobie,…

    • 655 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the passage he uses symbolism in many ways. He demonstrates how Young Goodman’s faith is being tested. When Hawthorne says "Come, Goodman Brown, cried his fellow-traveler,” this is a dull pace for the beginning of a journey. “Take my staff, if you are so soon weary.” According to Sophie Starmack, his wife has a symbolic name. “My faith is gone!” with this being said Hawthorne works on two levels, the literal loss of his wife and the symbolic loss of his spiritual belief. He seems to be more worried about how he might lose his Faith. Hawthorne suggests that if one bases their morals with religion and society, one might just get confused and lose their morals and become weakened. Yet, Goodman Brown tries to stay strong and committed to his Faith. Hawthorne states, “Is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith and go after her?” In Jimmy Maher’s words "The Young Goodman Brown" is presented as an allegory of the danger inherent in abandoning one's Christian faith.…

    • 560 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the short story, “Young Goodman Brown,” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the literary archetype of a good versus evil opposition to contribute to Goodman Brown’s fate. In the beginning of the story, Goodman Brown must choose to “put off [his] journey until sunrise, and sleep in [his] own bed” (133), or abandon his wife for the night to pursue an evil errand. Even after his wife pleads him to stay, Goodman makes the decision to leave his home to journey to an evil place. Considering how quickly Hawthorne allows Goodman to face a conflict of good versus evil in the story, readers begin assuming that Goodman’s condition will directly connect to the choices he makes in these situations. Readers find proof of this connection when Goodman…

    • 400 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ygbquestions

    • 268 Words
    • 1 Page

    1. What is revealed in the first seven paragraphs about the characters of Goodman Brown and Faith?…

    • 268 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The author uses Faith, Young Goodman Brown’s wife, to represent the Brown’s faith in his religion, community, and family. Brown believes in the purity…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    young goodman brown

    • 1797 Words
    • 5 Pages

    2. Evidence pointing to the journey into the forest being a journey into his own heart is seen when he’s alone in the forest. He begins seeing the darkness around him which is symbolic of sin, and he sees his wife’s ribbon in the tree which is symbolic of his need of her and fear of losing her. He is mostly afraid of the sin in himself which he unravels as he goes deeper into the forest. His fellow traveler who is described as an older version of Goodman is darker and more evil than Goodman himself, whereas his wife whose name is faith is lost because Goodman loses faith in the Church congregation who he sees at the devil worship.…

    • 1797 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1. What is revealed in the first seven paragraphs about the characters of Goodman Brown…

    • 1169 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As Goodman was walking into the woods, Hawthorne wrote, “It was all as lonely as could be; and there is this peculiarity in such a solitude, that the traveller knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead; so that, with lonely footsteps, he may yet be passing through an unseen multitude.” This passage sets the stage for a creepy feeling of seclusion and suspense. Without the isolation within this story, Goodman would not be witnessing everyone passing by without them knowing, rather, he would be engaged with them. This would cause him to be influenced by the other characters within the story, and we would no longer be able to see Goodman inevitably succumb to the temptation of the Devil by himself (the loss of his innocence), which is the overall theme of the…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Young Goodman Brown ask a false question of faith, false in the assertion that the question can have only two answers. Faith is singularly defined as good thus all else, especially doubt, is evil. Therefore, Goodman Brown’s revelation - not all people of faith have pure faith- is profoundly troubling. In effect the rigid construct of his world is shattered. Furthermore Brown, due to his position in society, epitomizes respectability and is naturally married to Faith. His status is essentially his birthright, for his father and grandfather before him were reputable men. To an extent Brown functions as the common American man who cherishes the history of a country and family name bestowed onto him while lamenting obligation. Goodman encounters the conflict of masculinity explicitly, not only does he carry a highly regarded family name, but he also is not privy to innocence and blind faith like his wife. Faith is pink, childlike, and unknowing of darkness or doubt. Faith represents the impossibility of unadulterated belief, for it is remarkably unlikely for a mature adult to be so ignorant of life’s tribulations. However, in Young Goodman Brown unadulterated faith is presented as the only pious option even though doubt is inevitable and pervasive. Doubt and the darkness lingering in the forest have, in fact, reached nearly the whole town. There in the woods “the good shrank not from the wicked”(85). In reality, there is no clear divide between good and evil, thus there is no clear divide between faith and doubt. Such a statement, a refusal of dichotomy,…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Goodman sets out on a spiritual journey to overcome his fears and to find his spiritualism rather it be to stay with Christianity or to find another road. Goodman is given a lot of trials and tribulations from both, God and the Devil. At the end of the story Goodman wakes up and finds his religion and faith is still with God which makes everything else seize to…

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Goodman Brown is a good man, but the name itself can symbolize young good men that are tempted to have a sinful life. Throughout the story, goodman Brown refers to his wife, Faith. His references also represent his struggle with his faith during his temptation with sin. His wife, Faith, is determined to keep goodman Brown from his path. The story supports this in the beginning because she softly and sadly whispered, asking him to put off his journey until the next day (620). When asked by the second traveler as to why he was late, he replied, “Faith kept me back awhile” (620). This statement refers to his actual…

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Young Goodman Brown’s faith seems to be centered around his wife Faith, as if she is his moral compass. Once Brown believes that his Faith is lost and no longer innocent and oblivious to the wicked ways of people surrounding him, Brown turns bitter towards the townspeople. Ultimately, Brown turns from Faith and in an essence lost his faith, humanity no longer believing in the good of mankind. Once Brown realizes that even the purest of heart can be tempted to stray from their beliefs, he loses faith in himself and everyone around him. Faith is the ultimate personification of faith and it is ultimately lost, Brown dies a miserable…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne is heavily based on the idea of symbolism. Nevertheless, without the use of symbolism it would have been difficult for the author to get his point across. The theme of the story also revolved around the symbolism. The significant symbolism used in Young Goodman Brown portrays the theme used by Nathaniel Hawthorne that the temptations of the devil can challenge one’s faith.…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Some people read stories and see them all completely different with all completely different meanings. In a way that is correct, they are all different, however; though this analysis it will be shown that“The Lottery” and “Young Goodman Brown” are very similar through different literary elements of fiction. In “The Lottery” and “Young Goodman Brown,” authors Shirley Jackson and Nathaniel Hawthorne employ point of view, setting and conflict to show similarities between these two very different stories.…

    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays