Young Goodman Brown

4 Pages 1018 Words

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown” tells a tale of a young man, Goodman Brown, who takes a journey through the wilderness to define his true belief in his religious faith. Not only does Goodman Brown discover the inner evil in the holiest people he knows, but he finds out that his own wife, Faith, has turned to the devil. Hawthorne uses Faith and others to prove to people that every one has a little bit of evil and sin in them.
Before Goodman Brown leaves Faith tells him that he should stay and not leave her on during the night, but he answers her back telling her it will be all right “My love and Faith.”(614) This jumpstarts the story by symbolizing that Faith is just not his wife, but shows that she is his religious faith as well. Goodman Brown refers to Faith throughout the journey in many different ways.
When Goodman Brown first encounters the devil, he is asked why he is late. He replies “Faith kept me back awhile.”(614) Showing that he is not sure he really wants to proceed with the journey. In the mysterious woods, side-by-side walking with the devil Goodman Brown is very confused on continuing into the woods, but he keeps seeing holly people on the same path that he is traveling following the devil. Goodman Brown sees the first of his acutance, which shows the evil within themselves named goody Cloyse. She is encountered by brown and the devil as they are walking through the woods, the devil “pointed his staff at a female figure on the path”(616). This figure is an important figure in brown’s life. She is the same dame “who had taught his catechism, in youth and was still his moral and spiritual adviser” (616) Surprisingly, she turns around and begins a conversation with the devil. “ The devil!” screamed the moral old lady. “Then goody Cloyse knows her old friends?” observed the traveler, confronting her, and leaning on his writhing stick. (616). This discussion be...