In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown” Hawthorne conveys to us a seemingly highly religious Puritan town. However, this town appears to be holding a devious truth. Throughout his work Hawthorne utilizes symbolism to convey the corrupt and evil truth behind the, otherwise highly religious, Puritan town. Throughout his main symbol usage of Faith’s pink ribbons, Faith’s name and appearances throughout the story, and the woods in which the story is mainly told in, we see the façade slowly fade throughout the story and reveal the truth of the town. In the beginning of the story we meet Faith and discover the pink ribbons in which she wears on her hat. Faith herself is portrayed as pure and innocent, however, the ribbons give
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Due to this close relationship Faith’s name carries with it a direct correlation to Goodman Brown’s faith in the Lord. In the beginning of the story during Goodman Brown and Faith’s goodbyes, Goodman Brown remarks, “My love and my Faith” (Hawthorne 261) to symbolize his internal connection to his love not only for her but their shared faith in the lord. Using Faith’s name as a homonyms to fully represent his love and faith in the Lord in a mere five words. Due to the constant reminders of Faith throughout the story it shows how Faith gives Goodman Brown a motivation to journey through the woods but to also return home to continue their holy matrimony and prayer. However, things begin to turn for the worse when Goodman Brown grows tired in the woods and feels as though he must not go on due to the evil he has already seen in the woods. Goodman Brown begins to question, “Is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith, and go after her?” (Hawthorne 265). When Goodman Brown begins to question this, it was soon after seeing Goody Cloyse disappear with the serpentine staff that had “assumed life” (Hawthorne 264). He begins to wonder if there is good in the world and if what he had known in the town was false. If he were to quit his dear Faith he would be giving up on his quest and subsequently on his faith in the Lord for allowing an abomination as such to occur as he seeks out the horrible truth in the woods that Goody Cloyse would lead him to. Especially from a woman of high prestige, such as Goody Cloyse, who advised Goodman Brown since he was a child. This questioning begins his loss of faith. Goodman Brown fully losses his faith when he does decide to go after Goody Cloyse and comes across a tree with ribbons that appears to be Faith’s ribbons. Goodman Brown declares “My Faith is gone!” (Hawthorne 267). Not only is his wife Faith missing
Due to this close relationship Faith’s name carries with it a direct correlation to Goodman Brown’s faith in the Lord. In the beginning of the story during Goodman Brown and Faith’s goodbyes, Goodman Brown remarks, “My love and my Faith” (Hawthorne 261) to symbolize his internal connection to his love not only for her but their shared faith in the lord. Using Faith’s name as a homonyms to fully represent his love and faith in the Lord in a mere five words. Due to the constant reminders of Faith throughout the story it shows how Faith gives Goodman Brown a motivation to journey through the woods but to also return home to continue their holy matrimony and prayer. However, things begin to turn for the worse when Goodman Brown grows tired in the woods and feels as though he must not go on due to the evil he has already seen in the woods. Goodman Brown begins to question, “Is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith, and go after her?” (Hawthorne 265). When Goodman Brown begins to question this, it was soon after seeing Goody Cloyse disappear with the serpentine staff that had “assumed life” (Hawthorne 264). He begins to wonder if there is good in the world and if what he had known in the town was false. If he were to quit his dear Faith he would be giving up on his quest and subsequently on his faith in the Lord for allowing an abomination as such to occur as he seeks out the horrible truth in the woods that Goody Cloyse would lead him to. Especially from a woman of high prestige, such as Goody Cloyse, who advised Goodman Brown since he was a child. This questioning begins his loss of faith. Goodman Brown fully losses his faith when he does decide to go after Goody Cloyse and comes across a tree with ribbons that appears to be Faith’s ribbons. Goodman Brown declares “My Faith is gone!” (Hawthorne 267). Not only is his wife Faith missing