Young Goodman Brown2
What is blind Faith? Faith is accepting what you are taught or told without trying to prove or disprove it, rather than discovering it through experience. Atheism suggests that those who believe in God have blind faith-and they do. It has not been proven that God exists; similarly, it has not been proven that humans are kind, honest, and good by nature. Young Goodman Brown is a character in "Young Goodman Brown," who leaves his known world in Salem village and travels an unknown road in a dark forest in the middle of the night, a common motif in literature better known as the Hero's journey, and is faced withobstacles. He must decide if he will carry his journey out till the end, or turn back and not learn the truth about himself and other humans. The story "Young Goodman Brown," by Nathaniel Hawthorne traces Young Goodman Brown's experiences, physical and psychological, paralleling the Hero's Journey and showing how he discovers that humans are truly evil by nature; therefore, altering his views of other humans and life itself. In the beginning of the story, Goodman Brown is faced with a decision to stay home with his wife another night or to take off on his journey. This parallels his
Through the Hero's journey, Hawthorne shows the development of Young Goodman Brown as he discovers his true nature as evil. He comes to terms with the reality that humans are evil creatures, no matter how honorable or innocent they may seem. Transformations, both physical and psychological, took place during Goodman Brown's expedition, but were these changes necessarily good ones? Which is better: to have grace and innocence, but be happy with life, or to know the truth although it may hurt to know it? There is a cliche used to explain a good point of view that says, "what you don't know can't hurt you." Young Goodman Brown would have led a happier life if he remained innocent, but at least he received something good from his journey, knowledge and truth. The abyss in "Young Goodman Brown" is when he sees his wife, Faith. Goodman Brown hears Faith's voice, and it appears that "...both saints and sinners seemed to encourage her onward." (Pg. 94) The call of Goodman Brown's voice is desperately crying out to his Faith. The cloud of voices sweeps away and Goodman Brown is left in solitude. Now, he realizes that the one person who he truly loves and believes to be pure and good has an evil nature, too. Brown cries "There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil, for thee is this world given" (pg. 94) He willingly charges forward down the path from that point on. Once he is with the congregation and is brought forth before everyone, along with Faith, he tries again to save Faith's soul by telling her to look to the heavens, but does not know if she does or not. He is then baptized with a red liquid by the hand of evil. Although Young Goodman Brown felt a "...loathful brotherhood by the sympathy of all that was wicked in his heart" he could not ever return to a state of blind faith upon returning home (pg. 97). Goodman Brown has been enlightened and now understands that hu
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Approximate Word count = 1293
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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