The Symbolism Of Faith In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

“Young Goodman Brown” is a story about a man who challenges his faith in himself and in the community in which he resides.

In reading this classic tale from 1853 which was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, I became intrigued first by the theme of the 1800’s with shadowy undertones of biblical evilness. Although, in reviewing the story further I noticed a certain distinctive trends of old world flare that was unmistakable. These tones are of sexism which sadly marked the time period historically to such extent in which the structured confinements of gender responsibilities.

In today’s society the general attitude towards an individual is conform or be an outcast. It is seen in schools where people who do not fit into specific cliques become outcasts, the weird people. It is seen in the work place as well. People have conformed to standards set by society simply because society has said to do so. Society asks people to change themselves to fit in. However, people do not have to conform to the standards set by society.

Set as a common aspect within each story, the complex passages of sin and life later yield the protagonists’ sudden realization of the imminent nature of life and suppression of their initial pride. When Goodman Brown embarks on a journey through the woods, he initially encounters an old man, who closely resembles Brown himself. Goodman Brown, alongside the second traveller, sets off on a “dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest” (Hawthorne 1), represented as the principal setting and symbol of sin’s path. The atmosphere is instantly set as the path is illustrated “as lonely as could be” (1) with a “peculiarity in such a solitude, that the traveller knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the

Nathaniel Hawthorne was known for his many ways of writing including hidden messages, allegory meanings and symbolism. Nathaniel also brought back Puritan style writing by discussing religion as a main focus in his texts with everyday people good or bad, also known as religious symbolism. In “Young Goodman Brown” Nathaniel Hawthorne symbolically illustrates the dark and bright sides of characters throughout the story in order to teach the moral lesson of man and the conflict within, the hidden evil among everyone represented in the mysterious man and Goody Cloyse, Goodman's unknown past, and his unknown future with his wife.

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.

Young Goodman Brown has lost all hope and is now an empty vessel waiting to be filled with sin. This shows how Young Goodman Brown’s lost of faith has allowed him to be less than human. He becomes a shadow of himself looking for trouble and specifically the devil. In an essence, Young Goodman Brown’s internal conflict vanishes and the story continues to resolve the external conflict.

Next, some book 's and story 's have religious undertones used in them. While not common, comparative religion can be just as important to a story as history and symbolism. Hawthorne used comparative religion between Puritanism and Satanism. As Goodman Brown continues through the forest he comes upon a horrifying situation. “Each pendent twig and leafy festoon was in a blaze. As the red light arose and fell, a numerous congregation alternately shone forth, then disappeared in shadow. . .” (Hawthorne 354). Unlike some of the Puritan customs listen above, this is the opposite with the red light and fire. The setting hint 's very heavily that this is not a congregation that Goodman Brown wants to be apart off. The Devil is closely associated with fire as Hell is

" Symbolism is the language of the Mysteries. By symbols men have ever sought to

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown,” the author uses mystery and suspense to hold the attention of the reader. One of the most obvious questions is if these events are actually real or if they are all a dream. However, whether the events are imaginary or reality, they have the same impact on Brown’s life whether they took place, or were just a twisted nightmare. Hawthorne shows that a strong faith is the greatest asset of a man or woman, and when that faith is compromised, the effects of this can cause one to be filled with doubt and cynicism toward the rest of the world. “Young Goodman Brown” is an allegory about a man who has lost his faith due to the fact that he has based his faith on the people

Looks can be immensely deceiving, even the Bible has many verses about how not everything is really what it seems to be, such as, 1 John 4:1, Matthew 24:4, 2 Corinthians 11:14, and the ever so famous, Genesis 3:4. A warning that can be seen in both, “Young Goodman Brown,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, is that not everything that is charming is impeachable.

Stories with a little bit of edge but a major symbolic meaning are the type of stories in which people are entertained. In the story Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he uses imagery, allegories, and symbols to not only entertain his audience but to teach them a life lesson. This story is one where you have to dig a little deeper to really reveal the true meaning that Hawthorne is trying to portray. I believe the symbolic meaning of this story is that we all have evil in our hearts and are all victims of it.

Ominous settings symbolize the evil within characters and suggest that more darkness exists in the world than they predict. In “Young Goodman Brown,” Brown embraces his internal evil in an evil setting. Brown walks toward a “red light… with the instinct that guides a mortal man to evil” (page) on his way to the evil ceremony. Goodman Brown follows a red light that may represent evil since red is often associated with the devil. He follows this evil light out of “instinct,” which suggests that an inner evil guides him. The evil ceremony may also represent his internal evil because there he deserts his faith and embraces the evil within himself thus gaining a pessimistic view of the world. The setting where the evil ceremony takes place suggests

Sin is inevitable. Every person sins, one way or another. Sinning is impossible to avoid even with “practice.” “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne shows readers that. Goodman Brown wants to believe he is a good man, and perhaps he is; but he is tempted by sin all the same. Sin will evade or persuade a person into allowing evil in men's and women's hearts, using honeyed words and trusted people against that person.

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