Good Vs. Evil in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young
Goodman Brown
by Lillian Bonar
Essay: Good Vs. Evil in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown
Pages: 11
Rating: 3 stars
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Good vs. Evil
The short story, "Young Goodman Brown" is a fascinating rendition of the battle between good and evil. The
reader must delve into the depths of his/her own beliefs to understand what the symbolism is. Nathaniel
Hawthorne writes an entire lesson in life as one big symbol using allegory. The various examples are fruitful and
will be presented throughout this essay.
First, the main character's name is Goodman Brown. Does this mean something? It seems Nathaniel Hawthorne
wished it to be that way. After reading the story, the reader is left with the impression that "GOOD-MAN" in the
focal character's name symbolizes that this will be the good character in the battle between good and evil.
Hawthorne begins the allegory immediately with the setting, "Young Goodman Brown came forth....And Faith, as
the wife was aptly named..." (Emphasis on the "aptly named" part). This indicates there is an ulterior motive for
naming the wife Faith. Hawthorne also points out the pink ribbon of Faith's cap when she calls to her husband,
and this becomes important later in the story. Combining the opening character introduction with the description
of the environment establishes the theme of the story, if one could think on the same level as Hawthorne.
The setting of the forest is that of darkness, dreariness, disillusionment, perhaps symbolizing one's path for the
journey through life. Faith, Goodman Brown's wife, is a symbol of Goodman Brown's actual faith and purity at the
start of his journey. Brown wants to believe he can live his life the way he wants, but investigate "sin," and then
come back to Faith when he is ready. This is signified by the statement, "Well, she's a blessed angel on earth, and
after this one ...
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