Hawthorne creates a serious and somber tone throughout much of the story. From the start, the audience gets a sense that Brown will go through relentless agony from the devilish stranger. His diction in the opening paragraphs is a good indicator of this. He uses words such as "melancholy", "evil", "dreary", and "grave" to evoke a certain mood in the reader. There is little relief from this seriousness that would suggest that Hawthorne's attitude about the story be hopeful. Brown's attitude and actions portray a negative view of Salem and its people. He ponders the hypocrisy of the town as well as that of the Puritans. He examines the possibility that evil and corruption exist in a town that is supposedly charac

terized by piety and devout faith.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." The Harper

audience a moral lesson; which is that in denying the idea that good exists and is capable of overpowering evil; Brown has committed the worst sin of all. Bereft of spiritual faith, "his dying hour was gloom" (1725).

Whether his experience in the forest is real or a dream, the effect it has on him is detrimental to his spiritual development. The figure welcomes the community saying, "Depending upon one another's hearts, ye still hoped that virtue were not all a dream. Now are ye undeceived. Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. Welcome again, my children, to the communion of your race" (1724). These words penetrate Brown's soul so as not to be forgotten. By the end of the story, the narrator describes Brown as "a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man..." (1724). He can no longer look upon his community with the same hopefulness he once had. He becomes cynical of his surroundings and lives his life accordingly. His discovery of evil results in his loss of grips with humanity. He comes to believe there is evil in all people and is unable to accept it. He grows old with contempt for his former idols, and never again is he able to conceive of the idea that life is pure, grand, and good. At his funeral, his family has nothing encouraging to put on his grave, and neighbors do not even bother to attend. Thus, he is depicted, even in death, as an individual unable to find happiness in his own family and friends.

He uses contrast as a means to portray the village as good and the forest as bad. This adds significance to the fact that Brown begins his journey in the town and proceeds then to the forest. The use of imagery captures the appearance of the forest as well as lending a sense of foreboding towards the impending evil. Hawthorne says of Brown, "He had taken a dreary road, darkened by the gloomiest trees of the forest...It was all as lonely as it could be" (1716-1717). Immediately following this description, Brown speculates that he may not be alone in the forest. He fears that there may be a "devilish Indian" or "the devil himself" in his presence (1717). He is disturbed by the fact that he "knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead; so that with lonely footsteps he may yet be passing through an unseen multitude" (1717). This suggests to the reader that he is no longer feeling the comfort and safety he felt at home and is suspicious of what lies ahead. Brown is fearful of his mission even before leaving. However, in leaving the village, he leaves religious order, the familiarity of the scenery, and his beloved Faith. Upon entering the forest, he becomes victim to the possibility of the discovery and consequences of evil. In fact, it is in the forest where evil manifests

Some common words found in the essay are:
Hawthorne Brown, Goody Cloyse, Goodman Brown, Nonetheless Hawthorne, Brown Faith, Nathaniel Hawthorne, College Publishers, goodman brown, discovery evil, brown begins, wife faith, brown begins journey, nature evil, evil brown, spiritual faith, entering forest, devil staff, faith god,
Approximate Word count = 1961
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)