u

A detailed Summary of u

Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" is a story about a man and his faith. Goodman Brown ventures on a journey into the forest where his faith is tested, as he attempts to resist the temptations of the devil whereupon he returns to his home and wife. While in the forest, Goodman Brown encounters many well-respected citizens of his community, including his wife, Faith, engaged in a satanic meeting. This discovery causes a tremendous state of confusion for Goodman Brown and makes resisting the devil a much harder task. Doubting his reader's ability to grasp subtle clues, Hawthorne "will hit them (readers) over the head when it fits his purposes" (Dillio, 1). The main character's names alone are prime examples of Hawthorn's blatant symbolism. The names, Goodman and Faith, indicate that Hawthorne's allegory is obviously a religious one with both Goodman and Faith soon to encounter, and fight, some (d)evil. A goodman is a title equivalent to Mr., applied to a man ranking below a gentleman. A goodman in Hawthorne's day was a person who came from proper lineage. This is obviously the perfect name for Goodman Brown. A normal man, with no significance to anyone but friends a

nd family, he is devoted to his wife. Goodman also believes that he is devoted to God, but as the story progresses both of these devotions will be challenged. Faith is an unquestioning belief that requires no proof of evidence. Hawthorne chooses this name because Goodman Brown's faith is manifested in his wife. Goodman Brown uses his wife's name many times as an obvious symbol of his own faith, both in himself and in God. He also uses her name as a shield for his soul to help resist the devil's temptations. "My love and my Faith,... of all nights in the year, this one I must tarry away from thee" (614). With this sentence Hawthorne shows, using that blatant symbolism, that the further he travels from his wife, the further he metaphorically travels from his faith in God. Goodman Brown also speaks of his, "Poor little Faith," (614), Hawthorne uses this to show that Goodman Brown is regretful that he has to part with his wife and his faith. He goes on to say that after this nights evil deed he will "cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven"(614). Later, when Goodman Brown meets the devil in the forest at the beginning of his journey the devil asks him why he is late, he replies that Faith kept him back. The way Hawthorne uses Faith's name and Goodman Browns faith in God as a double meaning is juvenile in it's blatancy! Hawthorne continues to use this double meaning excessively throughout Goodman Brown's journey. As the story progresses the devil constantly tries to convert Goodman Brown by offering his staff. Pos

Some common words found in the essay are:
Goodman Brown, Heaven Faith, Goodman Brown's, Goodman Faith, goodman brown, Goodman Browns, Faith Heaven, goodman brown's, Hawthorne Faith's, double meaning, faith god, name goodman, wife's name, devil goodman, wife faith, Hawthorne's Goodman, Nathaniel Hawthorne's, nathaniel hawthorne's goodman, goodman faith, wife goodman, using wife's name, hawthorne's goodman brown,

Approximate Word count = 1026
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous