Young Goodman Brown Allegory Essay

548 Words3 Pages
Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne author of Young Goodman Brown, an allegory alluding to the implications a journey through the forest in the night has on the protagonist Goodman Brown. Nathaniel Hawthorne introduces Goodman Brown, a young religious man, meets the devil and discovers his own family’s involvement and inherent hypocrisy. Throughout the journey Young Goodman Brown goes through a change and loss with those around him. The allegory maybe be a connection with Hawthorne’s own connection to religion and his family’s past and involvement with the Salem Witch Trials. Nathaniel Hawthorne, through the use of symbolism throughout the story displays the doubt, loss of human innocence and the abandonment of Faith once learning another side of a story. The symbolism in Young Goodman Brown is important for journey the protagonist has to endure with…show more content…
His wife young wife Faith only physically appears once but is a crucial and most important symbol. Faith is introduced as a young naïve girl that wears ribbons and is fearful of the journey her husband chose to take. Faith symbolizes the innocence and religious faith that he subsequently chooses to leave behind in order to take on this mission of discovery. He was late to his journey because of his wife Faith but also his actual faith that had him doubting the nature of this journey. As the story goes on his faith is tested repeatedly until he finally loses it completely. Brown, who always believed that everything would be fine as long as he had his wife, loses faith when he sees his wife at the ritual. He saw her as a corruptible as everyone he met along in his journey. His Faith and faith were corrupted and therefore so was he. When he wakes later on he is not able to great her or love her the same because he changed knowing and learning what transpired may or may not have been
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    Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” is one of allegory as he remarkably uses symbolism, irony and metaphorical references to unfold his story. He proves to be a prolific story-teller inviting his readers to share in the experiences of his characters as they journey throughout the story. This essay will illustrate the symbolic representation of Faith/faith and the pink ribbons to virtue, innocence and purity and how Goodman Brown is dependent on her virtuosity to carry him through his troubling

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