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Spiritual Dilemma In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

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In the story “Young Goodman Brown”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown faces a spiritual dilemma. This is the story of one young man’s hallucinogenic journey through the woods. Whether or not this was a dream or reality, finding out the devastating true nature about the holy community he was raised in, him being misinformed about the members of his family, or the continuous struggle to hold on to his fault; this journey will have crippling effects on the rest of his life.

Young Goodman Brown’s seemly holy community turns out to be the exact opposite. Most of these small Puritan community members are in cahoots with the devil. No one is who they portray themselves to be. Take Goody Cloyse for instants. Her conversation with the devil shows that they have known each other for a long time. Imagine learning that the “wretched old woman” who taught you catechism is aligned with the devil. Young Goodman Brown is being thrown for a loop. Even the minister and deacon Gookin are going to this sinister communion being held by the devil. Young Goodman Brown must now come to terms with the fact that the people who has known his whole life, and taught him how to be a devoted Christian, were nothing more than lying and deceitful worshipers of the devil.

During this journey Young Goodman Brown must deal not only his spiritual conflicts, but also the shocking revelations about his family. Brown disputes with himself about making this journey because he thinks that his

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