American Literature - Young Goodman Brown free essay sample

The fall of man â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is the short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne is best known today for his short stories and romances written between 1850 and 1860. Hawthorne’s works belong to romanticism and discuss guilt, sin, good, and evil. The themes of his works often focus on the inherent humanity and bring out some moral lessons which Puritan New England inspired much. One of his most famous works is The Scarlet Letter which is an immediate success that allows Hawthorne to devote himself completely to his writing. In 1835, Hawthorne published â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† presenting his favorite themes, including the loss of faith to God, temptation from the evil and social ills of Puritan communities. These features make â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† one of the Nathaniel Hawthorne’s most popular short stories. Therefore, the paper is going to present several aspects in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. The Forest which Goodman Brown walked though can show the symbolic meaning of his journey. We will write a custom essay sample on American Literature Young Goodman Brown or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The protagonist was struggling between good and evil. Moreover, it will finally focus on Faith, the wife of Goodman Brown, presenting how the protagonist’s inner spirit. Some excerpts will be taken from the story as the instances. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† the story starts from Goodman Brown, the protagonist of the short story, says goodbye to his wife, Faith. Faith wearing pink ribbons feels scared that her husband may leave away from her after one night, so she asks Goodman Brown to stay. Goodman Brown comforts his wife that he has to go for only one night and tells her to say her prayers. He says to himself that he will be a better man after tonight and always has faith to God. Goodman Brown starts his journey through a gloomy forest. He meets the man dressing in regular clothing and carrying a walking staff which carves a lifelike serpent. The man gives the staff to Goodman Brown and tells him that it will help him walk faster. Goodman Brown doesn’t take it he says the only thing he promises to do is to attend their meeting and he feels ashamed to know him because his family have been Christians and good people for generations to generations. While Goodman Brown wants to return his house for Faith’s sake, there’s two women walking pass through the forest. Goody Cloyse, a moral, devout and respected woman from his village, is one of them and Goodman Brown recognizes her and tries to hide to prevent from letting her know his attention to the evil ceremony. However, Goody Cloyse sees Goodman Brown and reveals the truth that herself is a witch going to the devil’s evil forest ceremony. After that Goodman Brown tells the man his persistence to return bake for Faith’s sake. The man asks him to take a rest and gives him the staff which can use for transport to the ceremony if he changes his mind. Then, the man disappears. Goodman Brown soon catches the voice of the minister of the church and Deacon Gookin and finds out they are also on their way to the evil ceremony. Goodman Brown is shocked by knowing those good people evil side and swears to God be faithful as always for Faith’s sake. However, he hears the Faith’s voice and shouts her name. As the same time, a pink ribbon is flying down from the sky. Goodman Brown grabs the staff and transport to the ceremony to ensure what he had heard is not the voice from Faith. Goodman Brown arriving there, the ceremony has begun. All the people attending the ceremony are standing around the fire which let Goodman Brown see some of those who are respected and decent from his village are attending this evil ceremony. He doesn’t see Faith but he is worry to encounter her there by any chances. Then, Goodman Brown is rethinking his decision; however, he is dragged forward by the minister and Deacon Gookin. There comes Goody Cloyse bring a person robing and covering with the clothes whose identity is unknown. The person announces she makes the decision that will reveal all the evil and wickedness of the world to the ceremony. After that, she unveil her identity and what Goodman Brown see is his wife – Faith. He cries out â€Å"My Faith is gone! † and tells Faith to resist the devil; then suddenly he finds himself lost in the forest alone. In the next morning, Goodman Brown returns to his village. He refuses to believe in everyone who seems evil to him and also refuses the blessing from the minister and Deacon Gookin. Even Good Cloyse asks the questions about Bible verses to the girl, Goodman Brown takes the girl away. And Faith cannot meet her husband who keeps wandering whether he had been through in the forest was a dream or really happed. Nevertheless, Goodman Brown doesn’t become a better man but a doubtful, fearful man instead and live alone in the rest of his life. First of all, through â€Å"Yong Goodman Brown† we can clearly see the different side of human spirit. Nathaniel Hawthorne narrates â€Å"Yong Goodman Brown† as a mysterious journey filled with witches and sinful behavior in the outskirts of the Puritan Village. There are difference between good and evil and also the connection between Goodman Brown’s isolation and the village he lives. The stetting sets in the real town of Salem, Massachusetts, where the historic Salem witch trials took place. The protagonist, Goodman Brown, can represent anyone. Goodman Brown is a believer; in contrast, Faith, Goodman Brown’s wife, is symbolic as everyone’s faith to God. Before arriving the ceremony, Goodman Brown has intentions to return for Faith’s sake. As we can see, Goodman Brown is a weakened believer and cannot make the decision getting rid of the temptation from his mind. Once the Goodman Brown leaves his house, it symbolically means that he is going to the dark side without faith and the shield from God. During the journey, the confusion keeps swing in Goodman Brown’s mind. Returning or moving on to the ceremony? Close to God for Faith’s sake or walk forward to the evil side? Goodman Brown hesitates to pull back or down further into the forest. Nathaniel Hawthorne sets Faith this character as the picture of man’s innocence. In the end of the story, we don’t know what Goodman Brown had happened is a dream or reality but the loss of his innocence is inescapable. Even though it is a dream, Goodman Brown makes a personal choice to go to the devil’s ceremony without others’ force that shows his inherent dark side. If it is real, the people he meets and the village he lives are all corrupt and nothing can be trusted. The loss of Goodman Brown’s faith (or Faith) and innocence is the truth. The following experts can show the loss of Goodman Brown’s faith and innocence: My Faith is gone! cried he, after one stupefied moment. There is no good on earth, and sin is but a name. Come, devil! For to thee is this world given. And maddened with despair, so that he laughed loud and long, did Goodman Brown grasp his staff and set forth again at such a rate that he seemed to fly along the forest path rather than to walk or run. Moreover, we can see strength and weakness aspects from the people in the village and Goodman Brown himself. There are some supporting minor characters showing the corruptibility of the public morality. The first elder man carries the staff which is carved by a lifelike serpent. The serpent is the biblical symbol as Satan. In the Book of Genesis, the serpent tempts Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And Goodman Brown, like Eve, finally takes the staff for transporting to the ceremony. Goody Cloyse and Deacon Gookin are also the characters Goodman Brown meets in the forest. They are all in league with the devil. The reality tells Goodman Brown the corruptibility of the village. These godly people are all taking part in the evil ceremony and they will go on their normal life in the following morning, as church members, as hypocrites to save people from the darkness. Even though Goodman Brown has confusion about his decision to return or go further the darkness, the power of the public morality drags him to the world full of the danger and religious faith lies. In conclusion, Goodman Brown discovered the wicked community which corrupts the public morality and the loss of the man’s innocent and faith toward God. Moreover, he takes the journey to see the real side of himself, to gain the knowledge of sin and evil, to have the experiences affecting the rest of his life. Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts the story filled with many contradictions, such as good and evil, dark and light, beautiful and ugly, sin and the love, and strength and weakness. His ability to combine those aspects is amazing and leaves the reader questioning the ending of the story.