7/29/2019 Hawthorne Review

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7/29/2019 Hawthorne Review

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In the story ofYoung Goodman Brown, Hawthorne gives us a main character that looks for answersto questions surrounding his life and Puritan beliefs. This story is analogous to a classic biblicalstory, with temptations and revelations by the characters and the Devil.Young Goodman Brownhadhis public community, his religious beliefs and his wife but appeared to want something more. He

wanted answers about his reality. Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown is about our main characterpassing from the youthful innocence of Puritan belief into an adult world of cynicism after he gets his

answers. Young Goodman Brown is a classic New England Puritan tale of the perception of good andevil in all people (Baym, 2003)(Paey, 2006).

Puritan beliefs proliferate all though this tale. Young Goodman and Faith are the husband and wife

in this story; they represent the Puritan unity of marriage. This is a young couple seemingly devoted

to each other. Hawthorne writes in Young Goodman Brown that Goodman believes Faith is, "a

blessed angel on earth" (Baym, 2003) and has Goodman remark that "after this one night, I'll cling to

her skirts and follow her to Heaven" (Baym, 2003) but these loving sentiments are not enough to

stop our main character from taking that trip into the forest (Baym, 2003) (Bernardo, 2007).

Descriptive names, colors and objects are used to provide symbolism and infer details about the

action and characters. Hawthorne names two of his main characters classic names that represent

their nature: Goodman and Faith. There is some droll humor in Hawthorne's choices for these

names: the main character, Goodman being a good man and the main character's wife being Faith

and appearing to have faith. Faith's ribbon was pink suggests a persona of feminine innocence (Khay,

2007). Goodman was given the last name of Brown, which is a muddy color denoting his ambiguous

nature. The sky in the forest was a "black mass of cloud" (Baym, 2003) implying a closing in of ideas

and evil rushing in as it obscures Goodman's view of the sky. The fellow - traveler's serpent shaped

walking stick acts as a reminder to the reader of the nature of biblical temptations. Its existence and

use supports the words used by the Devil (the fellow - traveler) to tempt Goodman into hurrying and

leaving his innocence behind. The common iconic religious image of a snake signifies temptation and

the loss of innocence in this story and the story of the Garden of Eden (Baym, 2003) (Jacobs, 2006).

Hawthorne uses Puritan torment in this story. Goodman listens to the Devil claiming to have helped

Goodman's ancestors persecute Quakers and Indians and then makes our main character feel that all

his beliefs in the inherent goodness of his Puritan forefathers and himself are somehow

false.Goodman hears laughter in the forest that seems to represent the locals' denunciation of God

and an acceptance of the Devil's ways (Khay, 2007). Seeing his beloved Faith in the clearing near the

basin shatters his belief in his wife and her purity. Goodman Brown must finally accept that he and

the whole community is sinful. Goodman Brown goes into the forest as a lighthearted young man but

comes out an older and colder person, a disbeliever in all he sees around him (Baym, 2003)

(Bernardo, 2007).

This classic form of a biblical story reveals Goodman Brown's Puritan efforts for understanding the

nature of good and evil. Young Goodman Brown has his communal society, religious beliefs and

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7/29/2019 Hawthorne Review

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spouse but it was not enough for him. He went searching for answers and found them though the

enticements and disclosures from the Devil and others. Goodman changed from an optimist to a

pessimist knowing his belief in the nature of people was false. He once believed in a different more

youthful and innocent reality, not the reality of people hiding behind their public images. Young

Goodman Brown went looking for the nature of good and evil and found his answers (Baym, 2003)(Jacobs, 2006) (Paey, 2006).