Young Goodman Brown Analysis

Briana Glynn 6/1/15

Short Story Summaries.

Young Goodman Brown~ Hawthorne

This story starts off on the streets of Salem Village. Goodman Brown is saying goodbye to his wife before he departs into the woods to do his job. Although it is unclear as to what it is he is doing exactly, Faith, Browns wife knows its nothing of good nature. Goodman tells her that he must only travel this one night and he reminds her to pray for him, for if she does she will receive no harm. Feeling guilty as he walks away from her, he promises himself that he will become a better man after this night is over. He sets off on his journey into the forest and unexpectedly sees a man on the road. Weary of everything, Goodman Brown
The man replies by telling him that he knew his father and grandfather, and that they weren’t as good as he thinks. Confused by this, Brown repeats that even if this is so, he want to return to the village, for his wife. Soon after this moment, the men spot an older woman walking into the woods. Brown recognizes her as a respected woman from the village, so he hides from embarrassment since he is not proud of who he’s associating with. One of the other men go up to the elder woman and tap her on the
She then identifies him as the devil and then informs him that she is a witch, on her way to the devils ceremony. Very anxious now, Goodman again repeats that he wants to return home. The other man tells him to get some rest. He starts to sit and gather himself, just as a horse comes clucking down the road, and that’s when he recognizes the voice of the minister and Deacon of the church coming this way. Noticing that they are on their way to the ceremony as well, Goodman starts to think that maybe there is no good in this world, and that everyone might be evil. He swears that even though everyone else in the world has gone to the devil, he will stay true to God, for his wife’s sake. He starts to hear voices coming from the ceremony and thinks that he recognizes Faith’s voice. He screams her name and a pink ribbon flies through the sky towards him. On that note he runs into the woods, using the borrowed staff and enters a clearing where the ceremony is taking place, wrapped tightly in inflamed trees. There at the ceremony he sees many familiar faces of people in the village who he had assumed were good people. Just as he thinks that maybe Faith isn’t there he sees a woman covered up and with no identity. She shows herself and it is indeed