Young Goodman Brown

A detailed Summary of Young Goodman Brown


Mankind has a history of turning away from God and embracing evil. From the days of Cain to the present, there are a chain of men and women who have forsaken the promise of salvation in favor of what is called Satanism. In Hawthorne's story, Goodman Brown is faced with this challenge. He must endure the trials of Satan, learn troubling facts along the way and lose the one he loves. The choice to be made is succumbing to the devil and suffering eternal damnation, or embracing God and be saved.

Goodman Brown, symbolic for "any good man," dwells in the village of Salem. The Massachusetts town of Salem was once a site of a horrific witch hunt and is a symbol of pure evil. It is ironic that Hawthorne chose this site for the setting and the characters have all the traits of a "normal" citizen of Salem. All of the good people appear to be god fearing Puritans, when in fact they all are practicing devil-worshipers.


The woman, Goody Cloyse, who had taught Brown his catechism, recognized the companion as the devil right away. The tension rises as the devil replies: "Then Goody Cloyse knows her old friend?" (199). Brown realizes Cloyse worships the devil and the old woman foreshadow an act as she says: "for they tell me, there is a nice young man to be taken into communication to-night" (200). Brown, listening the whole time is shocked at the woman who "taught me my catechism!" (200). The woman goes on her way with help from the symbolic devil's staff.

This man told Brown that he was late, judging from the clock in Boston fifteen minutes ago. Boston is 16 miles away from Salem, meaning this mystery man ran a mile a minute to arrive in Salem. The man offered Brown his staff for Brown to use if he was too weary. The staff seams to be symbolic of an offering of evil. The devil offers his staff to Brown another time and gives it to Goody Cloyse. Con

Some common words found in the essay are:
Faith Faith, Goody Cloyse, Goodman Brown, Salem Massachusetts, , Cloyse Continuing, goodman brown, Satanism Hawthorne's, goody cloyse, staff brown, wife faith, story goodman brown, story goodman,

Approximate Word count = 632
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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