Goodman Brown

This is the first work I have read by Nathanial Hawthorne and Young Goodman Brown struck me as being particularly dark. I was interested on why Hawthorne chose to write about religion in a dark context. So I looked some information on his history and I found that he had a great-great grandfather that was a judge in the Salem Witch trials and he supposedly wrote this story out of guilt that he had from his grandfather’s participation in witch hunts. This information helped me further understand where Hawthorne was coming from and why he takes the side he does.

            Hawthorne’s writing was full of symbolism and starts when he departs from his wife Faith. Faith needed faith that her husband would return to her after running this mysterious errand. Faith also symbolized the faith that Goodman Brown had in God and all the great things God had provided for him. Goodman Brown’s journey into the woods seemed to me like he was walking away from purity and the faith he had in God. The errand that Goodman Brown runs kept me intrigued as to what Goodman was actually doing in the woods and Hawthorne does a great job of keeping this meaning obscure. When Goodman Brown enters the woods that seemed to symbolize deceit and danger, he encounters the stranger he is supposed to meet for his errand. This stranger is an expert in deceiving Goodman to continue farther into the woods away from his wife faith. I felt like Goodman was as good as any Christian by the way he spoke to his wife telling her to “say thy prayers…, and go to bed at dusk and no harm will come to thee.” Goodman was obviously very devote to his religion and was focused on doing the right thing. When the stranger slowly lures Goodman into the woods, I feel like this symbolized that any good man can fall to the devil. The serpent on the stranger’s staff symbolized a demon and I feel like Goodman was fully condemned by the devil once he picks up his staff and moves further into the woods.

            As Goodman continues this “dream” he finds himself in a world of wickedness. He cries out to Faith to, “Look up to Heaven and resist the Wicked One!” He comments that he doesn’t know if Faith obey his command or not and Goodman seems to come back to reality. After this part in the story is where I saw the most change in Goodman. He sees Faith’s pink ribbon that was symbolic of innocence and purity. She runs toward Goodman and is so excited that she nearly kisses him in public. When she reaches Goodman Brown all he does is “look sternly and sadly into her face, and passed without a greeting.” Goodman Brown has definitely lost his faith in God and humanity and he can no longer listen to the hymens in church without being overcome with sin. The story ends by saying that when Goodman Brown died, there was no hopeful verse carved on his tombstone, and his dying hour was gloom.

            This story was definitely a depressing take on religion and humanity. I would hope that no matter what events happen in my life that there is always hope for the future. No one is perfect and we are all susceptible to falling into trouble. I feel like persistence should be more evident in Goodman Brown and he should use his experience in the woods to strengthen his relationship with God rather than have it crumble.