Young Goodman Brown

5 Pages 1216 Words

In the story, “Young Goodman Brown“, there is a distinct presence of good and evil and how a man who represents the world handles them. The paths he takes, and the consequences for his actions are shown in detail as to how they relate to the world today. Also, people can use Goodman Brown=s story as a guide to keeping your faith in God, and if tested to have a strong enough shield to withstand evil and all other outside influences that will occur in life. Another strong emphasis that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses in “Young Goodman Brown” are symbols such as his wife, Faith, the ribbons, and the man he walks with. Also, all the people at the alter are used as symbols in this story by Hawthorne. Goodman Brown starts the story as a good Christian man with strong faith, but something is calling him to take a journey not knowing the reason why. This something is what will eventually test and may even conquer his faith in the end. I felt as if Goodman Brown is leaving his wife, his faith, and his home. His faith is being tested, which has never been tested before, because in the story his home and wife is the perfect place in which his faith was never tested nor questioned. I also feel that all the experiences he goes through on his journey symbolize every human being. I say this because his experiences match the fears of every human being that does not want their faith to be tested or has never had it tested. When Goodman Brown meets up with the man on which he took the journey with, the man symbolizes the devil. This can also be interpreted that evil comes in all different forms and you can be unaware of it just as Goodman Brown was. Also, in the story, Goodman Brown feels that the path he is taking is the wrong one and he mentions that numerous times to himself and to the man, but kept walking along the path of the wicked, as the man guided him, he kept throwing away his faith and his love of Christ with every step he took...