Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown

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In Nathaniel Hawthorn's short allegory, Young Goodman Brown, a constant struggle between good and evil took place within the mind and conscious of Goodman Brown. Hawthorne often explores the dark side of the mind and human nature in his writings and his rebelliousness against the puritan religion of his ancestors is obvious here. As the devil says, "Evil is the nature of mankind." Evil as well as goodness was expressed in various forms of symbolism. Once each deeper meaning was pieced together one could suggest that cold hard religion could in many ways lead a person to the dark side.

The symbolism begins with young Goodman Brown's name itself. The name encompasses all men or any man because it is similar to the modern John Doe. The fact that it could be anyone makes the message of story more powerful, because it can apply to us all. The title of the story includes the adjective young, which means in an early stage of life. This would suggest that Goodman Brown was somewhat innocent and unknowing of the evils that surrounded him. Another significant name would be Faith, Brown's young and beautiful wife. She, along with her pink ribbons, stand for all that is good and right in the world. She also represents Brown's personal faith and is an overall symbol of purity.

The town of Salem is only portrayed during light hours and is opposite the woods that are described as dark and evil, which make it a place of refuge from evil. The woods symbolize evil to the Puritans because this is where their enemy lives (Native American's) and where beasts roam the mysterious darkness. Suspicion was a very popular word of the Puritan era and something such as the forest created much suspicion. The unknown's of the forest would label it evil, as so many other things were blindly labeled by the Puritan's. Goodman Brown must first travel through the darkness of the unknown before he reaches the light of enlightenment and truth that is why he is embarking on his journey throughout the night hours. "My journey, as thou callest it, forth and back again, must needs be done 'twist now and sunrise." When he first encounters his deceptive friend he says, "Faith kept me back awhile." Meaning that his personal faith has delayed him. Along the way as he travels further into the dark forest his path is described as long, narrow, and windy. The forest seems to close behind him as he falls deeper into its darkness. These descriptions give the sense that evil is closing in on Brown; it is surrounding him and trapping him. It also gives the sense that he is falling farther from his "Faith" and Salem.

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When Goodman first met the antagonist (the devil himself, the ultimate antagonist) he noticed a staff that appear as if it was alive. Brown dismissed the snake like appearance to be trickery. The snake represented the true evil and sly character of this man. The snake was chosen because it is symbolically evil (lured eve into sealing man's fate) and has a certain slyness about it when it closes in on its prey. The devil appeared to have characteristics similar to Brown, and could even be mistaken for his father. This would allow Brown to accept the stranger based on his strange familiarity. First Brown comes across Goody Cloyse, an old lady who he learned much of his kind ways from. She recognizes the devil, showing her familiarity with his evil ways. She accepts the devils staff as if she is also accepting his invitation into darkness. Goodman remains reluctant to travel on, "Too far!" he says. But the prince of darkness continues to turn all that Brown sees as good and pure into evil.

The devil tells of how Brown's own family members were his acquaintances and the holiest of priests. As Goodman realizes all of what he thought was good and pure was really dark and evil he clings to Faith. She, and what she stands for, is all he has left before he is consumed by darkness. As he stops to collect himself a dark cloud moves northward overhead. North may be presumed as up and the cloud may symbolize darkness and evil moving upwards towards heaven. Just as Brown feels overwhelmed by this a pink ribbon falls from the sky. "My Faith is gone", exclaims Goodman; symbolizing the last of what he believed to be pure and untouched by evil was now gone along with his faith. Brown seemed to allow himself to be overtaken by the evil and then stumbled upon a midnight worship of the devil where he spied Faith. The s ance was surrounded by fire, which is symbolic of the devil. This may be because fire consumes as evil does and changes all that it touches forever or simply because it seems to accompany death and destruction. As he and Faith were on the verge of being baptized into the evil realm Goodman suddenly came to.

Whether this was all a dream or an actual journey is not specified. But the path Goodman Brown took that night forever changed him. He was so disturbed that he could not even trust his Faith who ran to welcome him home. As he stared into her eyes she could have only seen a man who had been broken and betrayed by his own beliefs. A religion, which was so rigid and cold, led Goodman Brown to mistrust all of his townspeople for the rest of his gloomy life. The symbolism throughout this allegorical tale all pointed to the theme that religion may serve to corrupt a persons thoughts and beliefs rather than to give them a "straight path" to heaven. Brown's struggle to find things as either black or white destroyed him. He fails to see the gray, which allows people to exist as both good and bad. "Goodman" Brown finds that we all have a devil somewhere in the forest of our mind but cannot except this. Goodman dies a bitter death from the enlightenment of his journey through the woods.

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