Goodman Brown Symbolism

What would one expect from a man with a personality like Goodman Brown? Authors often use biblical references, leaving the reader to wonder whether all events were reality or a dream. From this short story, we enter a supernatural world full of challenges the protagonist must overcome. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, he uses symbolism and metaphors to represent the ideas and beliefs portrayed in the story. As one is introduced to Goodman’s wife in the first paragraphs of the tale, we learn her name has a double meaning. Faith, the name of his wife and his faith in his religion. “and after this one night I'll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven” (Hawthorne 1). He describes how he leaves his Faith to pursue this journey, and hesitates continuously to leave as he will eventually lose his “faith”. The setting of the story also plays a very important role in the understanding of the …show more content…
He is rather confused on why so many familiar individuals are present in the middle of the dark night for this reunion. Soon coming to realization this “meeting” is only to be baptized into the worshipping of evil, Goodman resists but struggles as the “Father of Lies” attempts to persuade into temptation.

"My Faith is gone!" cried he, after one stupefied moment. "There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is this world given” (Hawthorne 6).

At this point again, the word Faith continues to have a double meaning but now Goodman shows no hesitation when pushed towards evil. Just as his decision has been made, Goodman resists at last from the devil and wakes up from what appears to be a dream. However, was the situation really a dream? That is left for the reader to answer, and proceeds with Brown actually losing his faith in humanity. He can no longer trust the words of anyone, as he sees all as different individuals who commit