Hidden Evil In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

The conversation with the devil in the woods caused his spiritual belief to be questioned, as Goodman was a faith believing man until he entered the forest.

Not only is Young Goodman Brown betraying his own loved ones and beliefs but the ones he cares for are disregarding him right back. This plot is quite frankly like a train of dominos; one does bad, the same receives bad. Each example of betrayal helps move along and set up yet another example. Hawthorne gives his readers a harsh reality of betrayal in all types of relationships and the penalties that come with it. The message behind this story may be hard to discover but it needs to be widely

Gregory, Leslie. "The Text of Nathaniel Hawthorne 's "Young Goodman Brown"." American Literature Research and Analysis. Web. 2 May. 2012.

The significance of the title is to demonstrate that the protagonist is a good person. That he wouldn’t do any actions to harm anyone in which is seen when he was having second thoughts of leaving his wife, Faith for the night by the look of her troubled face. Perhaps, the author named the story “Young Goodman Brown” in order to foreshadow his actions. The significance of his wife’s name is to show that there is still some faith and goodness in him left to overcome any negative influences. However, he chose to follow the negativity which affected his life drastically by having a “realistic dream” about a witch meeting where his wife, Faith was presented demonstrating how Goodman left his innocence behind for deviltry. Faith wants to motivate

The presence of good and evil can plague the mind, as people must come to grips with the reality of freedom of choice. In “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main character and protagonist, Goodman Brown, goes through an experience where he realizes everyone must choose regularly between good and evil. Realizing that many people fail to follow a path of righteousness, Brown begins to question his own faith. Through a dream-like state, Goodman Brown is exposed to negative influences that challenge his Puritan beliefs and religious morals. Hawthorne uses specific language, metaphors, and vivid biblical allusions in the story that help demonstrate Brown’s struggle with accepting the fact that people he loved and trusted may have succumbed to evil. Hawthorne demonstrates three important elements as he tells the story of Goodman Brown, which include: Brown’s own internal struggle, his awareness of external conflicts, and then his reaction to the realization of the good and evil that surrounds him.

On their path, they pass by Goody Cloyse, a catechism teacher. After listening to the conversation between Goody Cloyse and the traveler, the narrator states, “Goodman Brown could not take cognizance” (Hawthorne 6). The statement conveys Goodman Brown loss of confidence in his catechism teacher because he does not recognize her unholy behavior. Awaken from his sleep, he returns to Salem with a corrupted mind. While Faith bursts into joy at the sight of him, he “looked sternly and sadly” and passes by “without a greeting” (Hawthorne 13). Because Goodman Brown does not trust Faith, the quote implies that Goodman Brown loses hope and sanity. In the end, Goodman Brown becomes corrupted, disillusioned, and questioning of

The Danger of A Walk With the Devil: The Consequence of Sin and Guilt in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown”

“Young Goodman Brown”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a story that is meant to hold a larger truth about society. This story is comprised of many different symbols that work together to make that truth all the more clear to the reader. Hawthorne will accentuate the fact that faith is a choice, and each individual faces a struggle whether or not to accept faith as a part of who they are. He uses each character and event in the story as a representation of different influences that people are impacted by in the process of making a decision on faith.

A woman of the church was even corrupted by the devil, having called him “your worship.” She spoke so normally to the man as shown, “”Ah, forsooth, and is it your worship, indeed?” cried the good dame. “Yea, truly is it, and in the very image of my old gossip, Goodman Brown, the grandfather of the silly fellow that now is. But, would your worship believe it? My broomstick hath strangely disappeared, stolen, as I suspect, by that unhanged witch, Goody Cory, and that, too, when I was all anointed with the juice of smallage and cinque-foil and wolf's bane–”” (3) She started speaking of a recipe as if the man had been her friend for years. Goodman Brown could not believe that a woman of the church would follow the devil. This was the same woman who taught him his catechism. This point was when Brown did not want to continue, wishing to go back to his

Have you ever thought about the concept of freedom? Freedom is a point of perspective and not a point of a state of being. This can be seen in the story comparison in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown and Phillis Wheatley’s To the University of Cambridge, in New-England. You take Yong Goodman Brown, a man living in an area and time where it is deeply rooted in their Christian beliefs. Then you have Phillis Wheatley who is an African slave who is writing to privileged white men in Cambridge. Both are planted firmly in their Christian faith and the difference is one of them is a slave, and the other one is a free man with a wife and family. Yet, after reading Young Goodman Brown, it seems that only one of them

Young Goodman Brown could have made a different decision by choosing not to go into the forest. Instead of making the choice to enter the forest, he could have chosen to follow the good path avoiding the evil path. If he had gone down a different path it would have prevented him from losing his belief, religion, and faith he had in God. By Brown going into the wicked forest, he changed as a person because he did not come out the same. After going into the forest Brown realized the world was evil and couldn’t see the good in anything no longer. “There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name” (Hawthorne, 1835, 319). If he stayed out of the forest he would have still had his religion and seen the good in people and things while living on Earth. While inside the forest he became confused, lost, and doubtful over his life. Brown lost the innocence that he once had and gain new awareness to things that he once couldn’t see

A glimpse of evil, witchcraft, and the sudden loss of innocence.It's sunset in colonial Salem.Brown sets off on a voyage towards the forest near his hometown.as he leave, he gives a goodbye kiss to his wife, Faith. Faith begs young Goodman Brown not to leave her alone at night. The setting becomes frightening, and the challenges become more tought.First he come across an elderly witch.Follow by a couple of devil-worshippers.he then come encounter with a spooky "black mass of cloud". Shortly after, brown faces the devil himself and his minions.At last brown returns home safe from all the evil things.

The story of ‘Young Goodman Brown’ was having puritan backgrounds. When Goodman was visiting through dark forest, the old man appreciated Goodman and shown affinity with his ancestors by stating as: "Well said, Goodman Brown! I have been as well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and that 's no trifle to say. 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 pitch-pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to an Indian village, in King Philip 's War. They were my good friends, both; and many pleasant walks have we had along this path, and returned merrily after midnight. I would fain be friends with you, for their sake." (p-279). These lines revealed historical, mythical and puritan backgrounds as Goodman’s ancestors were involved in devilish activities like setting fire to an Indian village and his grandfather who once lashed the Quaker woman in the street of Salem; this old man was the friend of Brown’s ancestors. Brown resultantly rejected this so called story about his forefather’s filthy and heinous activities at Salem and he stated that his ancestors were pious and good people and further he stated that his father

Goodman Brown was a young resident of Salem. Brown was the protagonist of “Young Goodman Brown “. Brown was a good Christian who married Faith. Faith was a young beautiful, and trusting. Brown initially ignored Faiths claims to have had disturbing nightmares.

The story of Young Goodman Brown is the story of a tale about the main character becoming aware of the hypocrisy of his faith as a Puritan. Through his travels in the woods at night, he unveils the truths, or what he believes as truths, about his wife Faith, neighbors, and fellow Christians. By the end, Brown loses all trust in his Faith, both literally and spiritually, and refuses to see any good in the world. The beginning scene where Goodman Brown meets the old man has the most significance in the story’s resolution. This is where his mistrust starts to form and where he experiences his first temptations to sin. As a Puritan man married to “Faith”, his choice to continue into the unknown leads him to contemplate and create new opinions of his religion. This scene also shows many instances of symbolism that refer to the devil and sinning. Goodman Brown encountering the old man is significant in his transformation because it displays his crucial decision that leads