Symbolism In Young Goodman Brown - 960 Words

In the short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† the author Nathaniel Hawthorne shows the fragility of humans when it comes to their morality. Goodman Brown goes on a journey through the forest with the devil to watch the witches’ ritual and observes the evil in the Puritan society. He loses his faith as he sees the people he respects the most participating in the sinful ritual. Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes setting, and symbolism in his short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† to show how a person’s perspective can change by showing the hypocritical nature of the Puritan society â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† published in 1835, is set during the 17th century Puritan England. The Puritans were Christians who believed they needed to purify any practice or†¦show more content†¦These actions can not be seen by the whole Puritan society as this is hypocritical of their beliefs. The main symbol used by Hawthorne throughout the story is Goodman Brown’s wife, Faith. Faith has a more of a significance in the story than just Brown’s wife, she represents actual faith and purity. There is a conflict going on inside of Brown’s mind and it is if he should â€Å"keep the faith† or not. In the beginning, Faith urges Brown to stay home and go in the morning, but he disregards her and keeps going. This is a metaphor for Brown leaving his religious faith. Goodman Brown questions if his wife has lost faith in him and he asks her, ‘â€Å"dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married?†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Throughout the story, Faith stays as a symbol of Brown’s faith. The devil and Goodman Brown finally meet and the devil questions Brown about being late. Brown being a little afraid responds with, â€Å"Faith kept me back awhile,† Faith physically tried to hold Brown back and figuratively talking about his faith in th e religion. His wife could have prevented Brown from talking to the devil, but failed. Meeting with the devil evidently shows that Brown is willing to see the evil side of his religion. Additionally, the â€Å"pink ribbons of her cap† represent youth and innocence and these ribbons are to represent the Puritan society as a whole. Even though the ribbons appear to be holy, they fall to evil and show the truth of the Puritans. In the middle of his journey, he hearsShow MoreRelatedYoung Goodman Brown Essay(Symbolism)1543 Words   |  7 PagesIBEnglish III 13 September 2011 â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† Analysis One of the factors that shaped the New World was religion; it was a pillar in the fledgling society and a reason for migration for so many Europeans. Puritanism was a major belief system that held strongly throughout the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. Nathaniel Hawthorne, a nineteenth century American novelist and short story writer, composed the story of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† which takes place in Salem. AllRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown Symbolism Essay1147 Words   |  5 Pages Newlywed Goodman Brown, plans to kiss his wife, Faith, goodbye, and journey into the woods one evening, to satisfy his curiosity. As he heads off with strong faith, he looks back, and is concerned whether Faith knows of his real plans. Goodman is a young man of Salem, Massachusetts who comes from a long line of Puritans. He is a devout Christian and frightened of becoming a sinner. Although Goodman’s journey may only be a dream, his trip into the woods is life altering. He ultimately comesRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown Symbolism Essay1205 Words   |  5 PagesYoung Goodman Brown is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Written in 1835, the story deals with a late night meeting between a man and the Devil. On the surface this is all the story is, but if one looks closer one would find the story to be littered with symbolic images. Brown has been married to his wife aptly named Faith, for only three months. Three months is a very short time and this can symbolize that he lacks an attachment to faith. He is willing to stray from his own wife to go on hisRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown Symbolism Essay1388 Words   |  6 PagesYoung Goodman Brown (â€Å"There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree, said Goodman Brown to himself;...†) It would be one of the many things you would see in the forest with the devil, it being one of many demons that afflict us. The symbolism in this tale of woe is rampant with biblical references, and as a servant of the devil you will want to know why this relates to this tale of those reaching the promised land of wanton sin. The devil, your master, makes his appearance throughout theRead MoreSymbolism And Symbolism Of Young Goodman Brown By Nathaniel Hawthorn919 Words   |  4 Pagesto include a significant amount of symbolism in an allegorical story or another piece of written work. Because these writers are trying to put forth these ideas, they need to make a convincing, relatable, and entertaining story for these ideas to come to fruition. Allegory and symbolism work as part of the creative writing algorithm to add depth and make these stories as convincing, relatable, and entertaining as possible. In the given story of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorn, the authorRead MoreThe Use of Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown Essay742 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"The Use of Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown† â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1835, is a short story about a man named young Goodman Brown who leaves his wife, Faith, to go on an errand into the woods with the devil. Faith begs Goodman Brown to not leave her alone, but he chooses to go anyways. This short story shows many signs of symbolism, such as the forest, the devil, the staff, the pink ribbons, Faith, sin, and guilt. These symbols help in understanding the storyRead MoreSymbols and Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown Essay1331 Words   |  6 Pageseternity. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, reveals a similar resemblance of the Biblical inherent evil among man, through a disturbing dream of a young Puritan man who journeys into evil and is forced to examine the nature of evil among the human race. The Wife of Goodman Brown symbolizes the love that a wife has for her beloved husband but also the love, faith and devotion that her husband Goodman Brown has in his Christian God. An example of this symbolism is when Goodman Brown saysRead MoreAllegory And Symbolism In Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown728 Words   |  3 PagesIt is hard to read beyond the third paragraph of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† without finding allegory and symbolism. The opening seems realistic--Goodman Brown, a young Puritan, leaves his home in colonial Salem to take an overnight trip-- but his wifes name, â€Å"Faith,† immediately suggests a symbolic reading. Before long, Brown’s walk into the dream-like forest seems like an allegorical trip into evil. The idea that Hawthorne shows by this trip is that people are attracted to sin through temptation whichRead More The Symbolism of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2725 Words   |  11 PagesThe Symbolism of â€Å"Young Goodman Brownâ₠¬ Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† shows the reader the author’s power as a symbolist.    Frederick C. Crews in â€Å"The Logic of Compulsion in ‘Roger Malvin’s Burial’† explores the symbology that prevails in Hawthorne’s best short stories:    . . . I chose this one tale to analyze because it illustrates the indispensability, and I should even say the priority, of understanding the literal psychological dramasRead More Symbolism in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2380 Words   |  10 PagesSymbolism in Young Goodman Brown  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚      Edmund Fuller and B. Jo Kinnick in â€Å"Stories Derived from New England Living† state: â€Å"Hawthorne’s unique gift was for the creation of strongly symbolic stories which touch the deepest roots of man’s moral nature† (31). It is the purpose of this essay to explore the main symbolism contained within Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.†    Stanley T. Williams in â€Å"Hawthorne’s Puritan Mind† states that the author was forever â€Å"perfecting