Analysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne

’s Young Goodman Brown Essay, Research Paper

ld be at my very elbow” symbolizes that the forest is a mysterious and frightful place (244). With the words, “staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake” (244) and “The moment his fingers touched them, they became strangely withered and dried up as with a week s sunshine” symbolizes the devil (246).

Another important literary element that Hawthorne uses is characterization. He also uses symbolism to represent his characters. For instance, Faith is the wife of Young Goodman Brown and is represented as a beautiful, faithful, and pleasant person. When Hawthorne writes, “the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap”, symbolizes Faith to be a beautiful and pleasant person (244). Also Hawthorne writes, “as the wife was aptly named, and she s a blessed angel on earth” symbolizes that Faith is faithful and honest (243). In contrast to Faith is the mysterious travellar. He represents the devil in the forest which represents hell. Hawthorne writes, “his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake” (244) and “The moment his fingers touched them, they became strangely withered and dried up, as with a week s sunshine” (246) symbolizes the hellish powers of the devil.

Young Goodman Brown plays the middle man within the story. He is married to a beautiful wife and is urged to become bad in the hellish forest. He also finds that his religion teacher, Goody Cloyse, and the church minister, Deacon Gookin, was in this forest. Young Goodman Brown faces an internal conflict with good and evil. Hawthorne writes, “With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil” lets you know that Young Goodman Brown is strongly against evil (247). Also within the story Hawthorne writes, “My Faith is gone, there is no good on earth, and sin is but a name. Come, devil for to there is this world given” which shows that Young Goodman Brown has come to realize that he can no longer trust anyone (248).

In this allegory, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses dual settings, along with mood, conflict and characterization to create his theme. That mankind possesses both good and evil within each individual. This is represented by the internal conflict by Young Goodman Brown to be a good individual, but realizing that everyone possess bad. Therefore, he doubts everyone and trusts no one, which leads to a miserable life. The words, ” they carved no hopeful verse upon his tombstone”, shows that Young Goodman Brown did have a miserable and unhappy life (251). This allegory tries to tell you that everyone has both good and evil within each individual.

Works Cited

Meyer, Michael. Ed. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. “Young Goodman Brown”. Bedford Books of St. Martin s Press: Boston, 1997.