Losing Faith Young Goodman Brown Essay - 1017 Words

Losing Faith Young Goodman Brown Throughout the short story Young Goodman Brown, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne the main character is searching for Faith in what appears to be an increasingly corrupt world. Faith takes on a double meaning in this story, for Faith is used both as the name of Young Goodman Browns pretty young wife and the spiritual devotion of Young Goodman Brown to the Puritan Faith. The dual usage of Faith in this short story, along with its theme of devil worship amongst Puritan society draws the reader in, and leaves the story imprinted on his brain for a long time to come. As the story opens, Young Goodman Brown is about to enter the forest to partake upon an evil purpose. He leaves behind his sweet, pretty,†¦show more content†¦103). To this Young Goodman Brown replies it is too far, and that his father never went on such an errand (p. 103). In reality, Young Goodman Browns father has walked the very same path, beside the man carrying the serpent. In fact, all of the highly moral people of the town walk in the forest at night. Among the devil worshippers are faces that would be seen the next day at the council board of the province, and others which, Sabbath after Sabbath, looked devoutly heavenward (p. 109). Deacon Gookin, who preaches from the pulpit about righteousness, is the leader of the Devil worship, and Goody Cloyse who teaches the catechism too walks the dark path. It seems that in this town of fraudulent Puritans, no one is immune to the power of the dark one. No one, that is but Young Goodman Brown, for he alone has his Faith. As Young Goodman Brown continues down the dark path, he is continually searching for his lost Faith. His Faith would not allow him to enter such a dark forest where the Devil reigns as king. He screams for Faith in agony and desperation, but the echoes of the forest mock him, and something flutters lightly down through the air and caught on the branch of a tree (p. 107). It is a pink ribbon; the last remnant of Young Goodman Browns lost Faith. The pink ribbon in a literal sense proves that Young Goodman Browns wife is lost in the forest, for her hair is always adorned withShow MoreRelated Losing Faith in Young Goodman Brown Essay759 Words   |  4 PagesLosing Faith in Young Goodman Brown In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Goodman Brown is tempted by the evil that surrounds him and he must keep his faith in order to resist it. The use of the events, characters, and symbols throughout the story show that evil is present in the people of the town in which Goodman Brown lives and how Goodman Brown’s faith in them is lost. Humanity is basically flawed and people struggle with making the choice between good and evil. ThroughoutRead MoreYoung 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 MoreCritical Analysis Of Young Goodman Brown1393 Words   |  6 Pagesstory â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a fight between Evil and Good of both the mind and soul of Young Goodman Brown. Tries Retaining his faith but fails and sees those around him to be evil except himself. Evil is the nature of humankind it hides in the shadows of our inner thoughts. It is the temptation we face on a daily basis. We have the choice whether to give into it or merely overcome it. During his journey through the dark woods Young Goodman Brown sought out his inner evil. Young Goodman Brown, theRead MoreLosing Faith By Nathaniel Hawthorne848 Words   |  4 PagesLosing Faith The theme of losing faith has been a favorite subject of many writers throughout history. In the bible, Moses was forbidden from entering the promise land because of the sins he had committed and ultimately losing his faith. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Nathaniel Hawthorne writes about a young man who goes on a mysterious journey through the forest, which forever changes him and his faith. Hawthorne introduces us to Goodman Brown, a recently married young Puritan, who decides to leaveRead MoreFaith Is The Most Significant Symbol Of Brown s Personal Faith933 Words   |  4 Pages However, he still had Faith. Faith is the most significant symbol of Brown’s personal faith. From her name to her pink ribbons, Faith is goodness, virtue, and purity personified. From the beginning of the story, Hawthorne makes it clear how heavily Young Goodman Brown relies on his young wife. Brown referred to her as â€Å"’a blessed angel on earth,’† and to rationalize his journey he told himself that â€Å"’after this one night, I’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven’† (Hawthorne 261). WhenRead MoreYoung Goodman Brown Analysis876 Words   |  4 PagesHawthorne’s story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† appears to be a story about original sin with a lot of symbolism tied in to make it an allegory. An allegory is a story that can be interpreted in different ways to find the hidden meaning behind the symbolism in the story. The three things focused on throughout the short story is Faith, the forest that Goodman Brown takes his journey through, and the staff, which the old man who leads Goodman Brown on his way carries. The short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† uses severalRead More Faith in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1105 Words   |  5 Pagesstory â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is set in Salem, Massachusetts during the late sixteen hundreds in a time of religious hysteria and only a few generations after the infamous witch trials. Although Young Goodman Brown is a fictional tale, it is based on the cynical environment of Salem during this time period. The short story is filled with many literary elements, leading you to question what did exactly happen to the main character at the conclusion. When analyzing a story like Young Goodman Brown, oneRead MoreNathaniel Hawth orne s Young Goodman Brown847 Words   |  4 PagesFaith is a word often used to describe the trust that one has in God; as expressed in a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† In Young Goodman Brown, one of Hawthorne’s biggest themes is faith. Hawthorne wrote this story to illustrations how temptation and the views of others can influence the way an individual lives. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† takes place in the 1800s during the time of the Salem Witch Trials; where emphasis was positioned on the strict moral rules and the searchRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown1695 Words   |  7 PagesShort story, Young Goodman Brown, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is set in Puritan New England. Hawthorne uses symbolism, description, scenery, and Goodman’s journey to illustrate and symbolize the battle of good versus evil. In the first scene, we see how Young Goodman Brown leaves his wife, Faith, to start on his â€Å"evil† journey through the woods. Though Faith asks him to stay with her, he chooses to continue on even though he knows the evilness lies ahead. As the story continues, we see how HawthorneRead MoreThe Curse Of A Vivid Dream915 Words   |  4 Pagesand shadow. In the story Young Goodman Brown was once a great man. Now he sees everyone as a sinful and bitter person, how did this come to be? It all began one night when Young Goodman Brown had a dream that changed his life forever. In his dream he saw his wife and the good people of his town attend a Witches’ Sabbath. This changes Young Goodman Brown`s perception of reality and how he perceives everyone around him to be devil worshippers. The changes Young Goodman Brown goes through mentally, affect