Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown is neither evil nor a good individual but was as faithful and normal as everyone else in his society; at lease he thought he was. This story, in my perspective, is mostly about how Goodman Brown lost his faith and how everything he perceived to be good and innocent was really just the work of the devil. Even in the beginning of the story, it seemed that he left his faith at home because his wife "Faith" was urging him to stay but, ignored her and continued his journey. Then, throughout his journey to find his faith, Goodman Brown showed that he never had it to begin with because he kept changing his mind about whither to continue and kept doubting the existence of god which, showed his great weakness. At the end, he completely loses his faith and doesn't trust society any more because he sees no differences between good and bad.

Faith, Young Goodman Brown's wife, represents Goodman Brown's devotion to Christianity, innocence, and faith. It seemed the Faith was the only one or thing that would have kept Goodman Brown's own faith from leaving but, not being strong enough or convincing enough, allowed Goodman Brown to leave on his journey without it. Also, the pink ribbons in Faith's hair was symbolic of faith and when Goodman Brown saw her pink ribbons fall to the ground, it represented that both his wife and his faith, was gone forever. Faith represents Young Goodman Brown's own faith and since his wife was weak and not strong enough to keep her husband from leaving, meant that his faith was not strong enough from the beginning.

The acquiescence that Young Goodman Brown met in the dark deep forest was no other then the Devil him self. The acquiescence carried around a black serpent like walking stick, which seemed to be moving and praying on the innocent. The serpent staff represented the evil serpent in the Bible story "Adam and Eve," which preyed on the innocent and was associated with being deceitful. So, instead of Young Goodman Brown recognizing the old man as being the Devil, he decided to walk and talk with him while on his journey. Young Goodman Brown, not realizing the old man was the Devil, showed his lack of faith from the very beginning of the story.