Good and Evil in the World of “Young Goodman Brown”
It goes without saying that a good work of literature, especially a short story, often comes together with one or more conflicts. Undoubtedly, conflict is the key element which heightens tension, reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the characters, as well as boosts the readers’ interest to continue reading. As a result, it tends to vary in types and intensity. A conflict can be merely an inner one which occurs inside the mind of the protagonist. On the other hand, a character may also find himself or herself in an external conflict with outside forces in the story such as society, nature, technology. “Young Goodman Brown”, one of Natalie Hawthorne’s greatest works, sets a perfect example …show more content…
Despite her anxiety and begging him to stay at home, he insists on running a mysterious errand that he must go. Goodman Brown doesn’t want Faith to find out about the devil intention of his journey into the woods since according to him, “she’s a blessed angel on earth” (Hawthorne 2). Therefore, he takes it for granted that his Faith would always be home waiting for him to come back, and that “after this one night [he]’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven” (Hawthorne 2). At this point of the story, it appears that this is just a normal conflict between a husband and his wife. However, symbolically, by taking leave of his wife, Faith, Brown is at the same time abandoning his own faith in good and taking a step further to the initiation into evil. The pink ribbons that Faith has on her cap are one of the symbols that make a connection between two conceptions of Faith. It indicates her innocence and purity, thus Brown’s marriage to Faith symbolizes that he holds on to a faith in those values of her as well as his good nature in this life. This can be illustrated by the fact that during his errand in the forest, Brown constantly refers to his Faith whenever he is in doubt of the devils in disguise that he meets. For example, when the traveller …show more content…
He is in a dilemma and must therefore struggle to make a decision between doing what is right according to the depth of his conscience and what he is tempted to by his evil desire. This inner conflict of him will be analysed in detail following the plot of the story where Brown changes his opinion once and for all. As soon as he meets the stranger, also the devil in this case, he feels an instant unwell inside him and decides to return as in Hawthorne’s words, he has “scruples touching the matter” (3). However, in Paulits’s words, “the Devil’s easy assumption of his role as tempter is consonant with his knowledge that the pact is not yet complete. He knows he must convince Brown of the goodness of the decision to be made” (579). Indeed, the devil then approaches Brown and tries to be his guardian when he says “[Brown’s parents] were [his] good friends ... merrily after midnight” (Hawthorne 3). Thus, Brown is manipulatively convinced to make a wrong decision, which is to agree to follow him deeper into the woods. Brown’s intense curiosity to know what he would discover there is greater than his feeling insecure to obey the devil. From then on, Young Goodman Brown’s set of mind is trapped in an internal battle of good and evil as he at the same time faces some real devils as well as his own devilish side and temptations. Unexpectedly, in the darkness of
It goes without saying that a good work of literature, especially a short story, often comes together with one or more conflicts. Undoubtedly, conflict is the key element which heightens tension, reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the characters, as well as boosts the readers’ interest to continue reading. As a result, it tends to vary in types and intensity. A conflict can be merely an inner one which occurs inside the mind of the protagonist. On the other hand, a character may also find himself or herself in an external conflict with outside forces in the story such as society, nature, technology. “Young Goodman Brown”, one of Natalie Hawthorne’s greatest works, sets a perfect example …show more content…
Despite her anxiety and begging him to stay at home, he insists on running a mysterious errand that he must go. Goodman Brown doesn’t want Faith to find out about the devil intention of his journey into the woods since according to him, “she’s a blessed angel on earth” (Hawthorne 2). Therefore, he takes it for granted that his Faith would always be home waiting for him to come back, and that “after this one night [he]’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven” (Hawthorne 2). At this point of the story, it appears that this is just a normal conflict between a husband and his wife. However, symbolically, by taking leave of his wife, Faith, Brown is at the same time abandoning his own faith in good and taking a step further to the initiation into evil. The pink ribbons that Faith has on her cap are one of the symbols that make a connection between two conceptions of Faith. It indicates her innocence and purity, thus Brown’s marriage to Faith symbolizes that he holds on to a faith in those values of her as well as his good nature in this life. This can be illustrated by the fact that during his errand in the forest, Brown constantly refers to his Faith whenever he is in doubt of the devils in disguise that he meets. For example, when the traveller …show more content…
He is in a dilemma and must therefore struggle to make a decision between doing what is right according to the depth of his conscience and what he is tempted to by his evil desire. This inner conflict of him will be analysed in detail following the plot of the story where Brown changes his opinion once and for all. As soon as he meets the stranger, also the devil in this case, he feels an instant unwell inside him and decides to return as in Hawthorne’s words, he has “scruples touching the matter” (3). However, in Paulits’s words, “the Devil’s easy assumption of his role as tempter is consonant with his knowledge that the pact is not yet complete. He knows he must convince Brown of the goodness of the decision to be made” (579). Indeed, the devil then approaches Brown and tries to be his guardian when he says “[Brown’s parents] were [his] good friends ... merrily after midnight” (Hawthorne 3). Thus, Brown is manipulatively convinced to make a wrong decision, which is to agree to follow him deeper into the woods. Brown’s intense curiosity to know what he would discover there is greater than his feeling insecure to obey the devil. From then on, Young Goodman Brown’s set of mind is trapped in an internal battle of good and evil as he at the same time faces some real devils as well as his own devilish side and temptations. Unexpectedly, in the darkness of