Introduction
“Young Goodman Brown” is a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The author describes the central challenges of the 17th-century Puritan community by focusing on the experience of the main hero – Goodman Brown. The loss of faith, corruption of that day society, living in the state of depravity, and questioning the dual nature of humanity are both symbolically and directly addressed in the short story. Being written almost two centuries ago, this piece of literature cannot be ignored nowadays due to the criticality of issues brought up by the author. That said, regardless of the evident theme – the contradiction between the good and the evil – Hawthorne’s story addresses other significant problems that are still relevant and critical in modern society.
As mentioned above, the central figure is a young man named Goodman Brown. The whole story is the depiction of the events that occurred during one night in Salem village in colonial America. However, the author points out that only one-night experience – either a dream or reality – can change an individual’s life and perception of their community as well as the world in general. His story begins when he leaves his wife, Faith, and heads into the forest with a secret mission. Even though she begs him to stay home, the young man does not want to give up his errand in the woods. As it turns out later, the secret errand is the meeting with Satan in the forest. As the conversation with an old man resembling a young Goodman Brown – the devil – comes to an end, the main hero remains in the woods where he becomes the witness of a wild meeting of witches. However, the most shocking revelation is that his wife, as well as the most influential people of the village including deacons, is among those who came to the woods.
The Struggle Between the Good and the Evil
The description of the wood and the central event seem superficial because no detailed portrayals of other heroes, events, or emotions are developed by the author. However, simple as it is, the short story addresses numerous underlying themes in both symbolic and direct manners. First and foremost, it is evident that the Nathaniel Hawthorne addresses the issue of the everlasting confrontation between the good and the evil. It is essential to realize that the concepts of the good and the evil are perceived from the perspective of one’s moral development. They are not portrayed as actions. Instead, they are described as an individual’s attitudes toward other people and events as well as vital life choices. To explain this statement, it is essential to recall the opening dialogue between the young man and his wife. Even though she asks him to stay at home that is a good decision, he chooses to head to the woods (Hawthorne 1). This decision is generally recognized as a wicked one because everyone in the village is aware of the events in the forest – the wilderness of witch meetings, anti-Christianity, and Satanism. The same is true about the conversation the young man had in the woods. Even though he knew that he was going to meet the devil, he headed to the errand regardless of the wickedness of his choice and its potential consequences.
His vital life choice (to meet the devil in the woods) can be viewed within the broader framework. For instance, in this case, “Young Goodman Brown” is commonly perceived as one of the versions of the Faust myth. Just like in the myth, the young man – an intellectual who knows all the postulates of Christianity and is characterized as a self-critical and self-aware individual – decides to break the rules and sell his soul to Satan to satisfy his corrupt desires. It can be as well viewed from the perspective of the everlasting conflict between following the generally accepted rules (deciding to stay at home once the wife begs the young man too) and self-exploration (going to the woods) that make up another interpretation of the Faust myth (Zapf 19-20). Even when the young man meets the devil, he is in the condition of the inner conflict because he does not know whether he should trust the old man and tie bonds with him.
The Corruption of Society
The struggle between good and evil is closely connected to other themes that are as well related to personal choices and attitudes. In this way, another evident plotline is the corruption of modern society and its weakness when it comes to demonstrating individuality. Recall the meeting of witches. Even though the story lacks detailed descriptions, it is clear that there are numerous participants of the wild event. “The weight of many voices” (Hawthorne 6) points to the fact that almost all village citizens gathered in the woods. The witch meeting is aimed at satisfying personal interests due to the direct interaction with the devil. From this perspective, it is easy to understand that the role of personal desires (a common trend in the portrayed community) is preferred over the true good and living according to the Biblical principles (daring to be individual and stand out from the crowd).
More than that, it is imperative to think of the very arrangement of the event. Even though the forest is synonymous with bewilderment and Satanism, most people are gathered there. In this case, there is no sense in finding out their motivations for visiting the woods. Instead, it is critical to recognize that the majority of people got there because the rest of the village citizens did so. It means that most decisions are made according to the publicly acceptable pattern instead of the focus on Biblical truths. From this perspective, “Young Goodman Brown” is relevant in the modern world. Even though the current-day society is not Puritan anymore, the overall desire to follow mainstream rules is still significant, while the desire to stand out from the crowd is weak. This statement can be explained by recalling the desire of the young man to “stand firm against the devil” (Hawthorne 5). Even though he proclaims that it is his goal, no steps are taken to achieve it.
At the same time, the issue of a corrupt society can be viewed from the perspective of an individual. The perception of one’s self and the realization of one’s superiority are as well at the heart of the dual message of the short story. Think of the young man’s disappointment when he saw the most influential people of the village and his beloved wife among them in the woods. “There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name” (Hawthorne 6). The young man who has made the wrong decision is somehow disappointed in all people except for himself. In this case, one may question the duality of human nature and wonder how the choice to go to the woods, made by the Young Goodman, is better than that of his wife? Why is he better than the rest of the village if he is in the place he should not attend? The answer is evident – he is a sinner as well, but he has become too wicked to recognize it and seek ways to cope with his wickedness. Instead, it is easier for him to blame others rather than improve the world.
The Inevitability of Losing Innocence
Reading the short story, one may feel the change of the main hero’s mood. Even though he was frightened at the beginning of the portrayed experience, he was optimistic about his secret and nearly sacred mission. Nevertheless, the young man’s mood changes to pessimistic at the end of the story. Recall the thoughts about Faith the young man had when he dreamt of sleeping in her arms instead of making this wicked decision. However, just a second later, he realizes that his Faith is in the woods with the rest of the people. At this very moment, the young man proclaims that his Faith is lost. She is no longer sweet and innocent. Instead, she is with the group of the wicked and sinful. From this perspective, it is clear that the message of the story centers on the consequences of following the generally accepted rules. Therefore, one who is afraid to stand out and live virtuously will inevitably lose innocence and become wicked.
However, there is another question connected to the change of the main hero’s moods. Why is the dark inside (pessimism) different from the conscious choice to become corrupted? There is no difference between the two because both conscious wicked decisions and pessimism are associated with the elimination of one’s inner light and replacing it with the dark. It means that another hidden message of the story is that following the mainstream rules is inseparable from becoming emotionally dark, i.e. losing emotional innocence.
Finally, there is another challenge connected to the loss of innocence, as, in the case of the young man, losing it was inevitable. It can be explained by the fact that his belief in the divine God and Christian postulates was associated with the faith of other people as well as the trust in their innocence and moral perfection. It means that he was confident that his community was the group of Christian believers. Therefore, once he saw all of them in the woods, losing innocence (the inner light and belief in God) was the logical outcome. From this perspective, the message is that dissolving oneself in the community is inseparable from losing one’s individuality and facing the risks of becoming a member of the mainstream group, thus granting it the right to affect and drive one’s life. In this case, losing innocence and becoming dark in the inside is the possible outcome.
The Past and the Future
One more critical plotline connected to the struggle between good and evil is the connection between the past and the future. It is essential because it shapes one’s perception of these concepts and the stance on the appropriateness of vital life choices. There are several central examples to mention – the image of the devil, an old woman Goodman Brown meets when he has a walk with Satan, and details mentioned by the devil during his conversation with the young man. The devil is depicted as an old man who resembles the main hero. They are similar to a father and a son. The same clothes, a similar manner of communication, and physical resemblance point to the fact that the devil may have been the inner self of the young man. Because the central conflict is the conflict between remaining a good person (a Christian believer) and following the path of wickedness (selling his soul and making a covenant), such a portrayal of the devil may be associated with the self-image of a young man once he realizes that his choice is wrong. In this way, the past decision affects the future perception of one’s self just like the father has an impact on his son (Ronan 254).
Another instance worth mentioning is meeting an old lady that warns the young man that he is walking with the devil (Hawthorne 3). She is the woman from the righteous past, and her appearance may point to the strong connection between the past and the future. If Goodman Brown listened to the old lady (the past), his future might have taken a differing direction. At the same time, it is critical to point to the details of the conversation with the devil – his reference to the young man’s father and grandfather. He claimed that most of the man’s relatives were close to him (sold their souls to Satan). In this way, the existence of the strong bonds between the influence of one’s ancestors and an individual’s future development is evident because the desire to stand against Satan is weaker due to the pattern established in the young man’s family. This connection is as well associated with the impact of society on individual choices, but it is even more robust due to the persuasiveness of Satan’s arguments.
Symbolism and the Hidden Message of the Story
Analyzing the message of the short story, it is impossible to ignore the criticality of symbolism in delivering it. The first symbol is the young man’s wife. Her name is Faith that is a religious concept. The first impression is that the dialogue is the inner one. In this case, faith is a concept. It is supported by the referrals to God and prayers. Moreover, once the young man makes his way to the woods, he recognizes that it was Faith that kept him back so that he was late to the meeting (Hawthorne 2). In this way, faith is a symbol of religion, not just a person. Furthermore, witnessing her in the group of wicked people is another proof that faith is a symbol of believing in God. As the young man claims that his faith is lost, he indirectly points to the degenerated society. From this perspective, the author criticizes the Puritan community, the people who claim that they believe in God but serve the devil.
The name of the wife is not the only symbol chosen by the author, as there are other details associated with the main hero’s love. For instance, special focus is made on pink ribbons – the accessory Faith wore on her cap. More than that, the young man associated these pink ribbons with his wife seeing them as the symbol of innocence and purity. Nevertheless, in the night, when he heard Faith’s voice among the others, he found these pink ribbons in the woods. They were not with Faith anymore, as she has lost them, just like the young man has lost her. Losing pink ribbons is similar to eating the forbidden fruit in Eden. In this case, the motif is Biblical because it is a woman that is connected to becoming sinful. Just like Eve tempted Adam in sin and deceit, the wife’s decision to be in the forest contributed to the young man’s loss of faith (Boonyaprasop 48).
Still, not all symbols are related to the wife of the main hero. To support this argument, think of the focus on the words “young” and “old” in the description of the characters. “Young” is subconsciously associated with innocence, especially keeping in mind the peculiarities of the young man’s worldview and his belief in the virtue of all community members. On the other hand, there is the old man – the devil – who resembles the main hero with the only difference – his age. This difference in their age is the difference in the perception of the world and self-image, as “old” is synonymous with one who has already lost innocence and becomes evil and dark from the inside (Boonyaprasop 44). More than that, the focus on youth and innocence is made in the title of the short story. It points to the possible changes that may happen to the main hero.
All in all, the young man himself is a symbol. It is assumed that he is a collective image of the perfect Christian – one seeing the world from a positive perspective. However, at the same time, the young man is the representation of the criticized society and its wickedness, as, unlike the true Christian, none of the community members manages to resist the temptation and live in virtue. Also, his death is as well symbolic. It points to the fact that losing faith and innocence (becoming dark in the inside) is synonymous with death because the young man died when he lost faith in his community, saw sin around him, and could not accept the duality of the human nature, even though he was dual (Nagel 179).
Conclusion
Keeping in mind all symbols and themes addressed in the short story, the conclusion is evident – the struggle between the good and the evil is everlasting, and it is the choice of an individual to decide which side to support. This complex challenge is connected to the duality of human nature as well as the constant search for the balance between and right and the wicked. In this way, mankind is not all evil, as the devil wanted to persuade the young man. Instead, everyone is similar in their uncertainty when it comes to vital life decisions (Francis). Nevertheless, regardless of the mainstream developments, it is critical to maintain one’s individuality and live decently. It is the central message of “Young Goodman Brown” that was applicable in the 17th-century community and is still relevant today.
Works Cited
Boonyaprasop, Marina. Hawthorne’s Wilderness: Nature and Puritanism in Hawthorne’s the Scarlett Letter and ‘Young Goodman Brown.’ Anchor Academic Publishing, 2013.
Francis, David R. Haunted Bowdoin College. Haunted America, 2014. Google Books, 2017. Web.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown. Web.
Nagel, James. American Short Story Handbook. Wiley Blackwell, 2015.
Ronan, John. “’Young Goodman Brown’ and the Matters.” The New England Quarterly, vol. 85, no. 2, 2012, pp. 253-280.
Zapf, Hubert. “The Rewriting of the Faust Myth in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘Young Goodman Brown’.” Nathaniel Hawthorne Review, vol. 38, no. 1, 2012, pp. 19-40.