Nathaniel HawthorneS Young Goodman Brown Essay Research

Nathaniel Hawthorne? S? Young Goodman Brown? Essay, Research Paper

Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne? s? Young Goodman Brown? Nathaniel Hawthorne? s? Young Goodman Brown? is a narrative about a adult male and his religion. Goodman Brown ventures on a journey into the forest where his religion is tested, as he attempts to defy the enticements of the Satan whereupon he returns to his place and married woman. While in the wood, Goodman Brown encounters many well-respected citizens of his community, including his married woman, Faith, engaged in a demonic meeting. This find causes a enormous province of confusion for Goodman Brown and makes defying the Satan a much harder undertaking. Doubting his reader? s ability to hold on elusive hints, Hawthorne? will hit them ( readers ) over the caput when it fits his intents? ( Dillio, 1 ) . The chief character? s names entirely are premier illustrations of Hawthorn? s blazing symbolism. The names, Goodman and Faith, indicate that Hawthorne? s fable is evidently a spiritual 1 with both Goodman and Faith shortly to meet, and battle, some ( vitamin D ) immorality. A Goodman is a title equivalent to Mr. , applied to a adult male ranking below a gentleman. A Goodman in Hawthorne? s twenty-four hours was a individual who came from proper line of descent. This is evidently the perfect name for Goodman Brown. A normal adult male, with no significance to anyone but friends and household, he is devoted to his married woman. Goodman besides believes that he is devoted to God, but as the narrative progresses both of these devotednesss will be challenged. Faith is an unquestioning belief that requires no cogent evidence of grounds. Hawthorne chooses this name because Goodman Brown? s religion is manifested in his married woman. Goodman Brown uses his married woman? s name many times as an obvious symbol of his ain religion, both in himself and in God. He besides uses her name as a shield for his psyche to assist defy the Satan? s enticements. ? My love and my Faith, & # 8230 ; of all darks in the twelvemonth, this one I must loiter away from thee? ( 614 ) . With this sentence Hawthorne shows, utilizing that blazing symbolism, that the farther he travels from his married woman, the farther he metaphorically travels from his religion in God. Goodman Brown besides speaks of his, ? Poor small Faith, ? ( 614 ) , Hawthorne uses this to demo that Goodman Brown is sorry that he has to portion with his married woman and his religion. He goes on to state that after this darks evil title he will? cleaving to her skirts and follow her to heaven? ( 614 ) . Subsequently, when Goodman Brown meets the Satan in the wood at the beginning of his journey the Satan asks him why he is tardily, he replies that Faith kept him back. The manner Hawthorne uses Faith? s name and Goodman Browns religion in God as a dual significance is juvenile in it? s blatancy! Hawthorne continues to utilize this dual significance overly throughout Goodman Brown? s journey. As the narrative progresses the Satan invariably tries to change over Goodman Brown by offering his staff. Presenting an statement against the Satan, Goodman Brown claims that he is from a household of good work forces that? & # 8230 ; ne’er went into the forests on

such an errand,…we have been a race of honest men and good Christians…? (615). This statement is invalidated when the devil tells Goodman that he (the devil) was with Goodman Brown?s ancestors when they tortured women in Salem and burned Indian villages. Although Goodman Brown never accepts the staff he continues to follow the devil deeper into the forest. The deeper he goes the more he discovers unwanted information about his neighbors. In attempt to show Goodman Brown that joining him wouldn?t be that bad, the devil begins naming people known to, and respected by, Goodman Brown that have converted. He refuses, saying that there is his (wife) Faith and how converting would break her heart. As he continually refuses the devil his confidence grows stronger. However, once they encounter goody Cloyse, who freely takes up the devil?s staff, his confidence is severely shaken. Still resisting, while again using his wife?s name to give him strength, ?Is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith,…? (617), he discovers that two well respected men, one of them his minister, are servants of the devil as well. Upon this discovery he begins to doubt that heaven even exists and yet again, using his wife?s name for encouragement, continues to resist, ?With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil? (618). All of a sudden, in his state of confusion, he suspects that Faith is also part of the satanic group that is gathering in the forest. He believes that he hears her voice and, after finding a pink ribbon that possibly belongs to her, he cries, ?My Faith is gone? (619). The double meaning here is probably the most significant in the entire tale, it shows Goodman Brown has lost the most important aspect of Christianity, his faith. As a last-ditch effort to save Faith he yells to her, ?Faith! Faith! Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One!? (622). The next thing he knows, Goodman Brown wakes up in the middle of the forest. This obviously poses the possibility that Goodman Brown?s experience was only a dream. This, although making the story more enjoyable, is irrelevant to Goodman Brown. Goodman Brown doubts that it was a dream and proceeds to live his life as if it wasn?t, even though his neighbors act like nothing happened. When he greets his wife the next morning she has pink ribbons in her hair, just like the ribbons he had found the previous night. He also doesn?t know whether or not Faith had resisted the devil as he had called for her to do. These circumstances cause Goodman Brown to lose his trust in his wife and all of his neighbors. The rest of his life is miserable. Whether the satanic meeting in the middle of the night had been a dream or not is irrelevant since it affects in the same way as it would if it wasn?t a dream. Goodman Brown was forever changed by his experience. From a devoted husband and faithful Christian into a ?stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrusting, if not desperate man,…? (622).