When one’s faith is tested the effects it has on the individual can ruin a person's view of humanity and life in general. In the short story “Young Goodman Brown,” Nathaniel Hawthorne presents a pious man named Goodman Brown whose faith is a large attribute of his character. Brown’s faith is put to the ultimate test when he had a dream that seemed so unimaginably real. Young Goodman Brown soon begins to doubt everything he knows about his faith. Brown comes to a realization that humanity is neither good or bad but is a mixture of both.
At the beginning of this short story, Young Goodman Brown is a very religious and pious man. He sees his wife, Faith, of three months as an angel and very innocent. Everything soon changes once he begins his night journey through the forest. You could depict the night trip through the forest to be his subconscious thoughts within a dream (Predmore 250). The first thing that makes it understood to be a dream is when Young Goodman Brown states, “What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow” (Hawthorne). Right after he states this a traveler appears out of nowhere like Brown's mind just summoned him there like in a dream. This could be seen as Brown dreaming of his worst fears. He is fearful of running into …show more content…
He did not give into the devil and told his beloved wife to look to heavens to see God and not give into the evil that surrounded her. However, Brown did not pass any test instead he lost all his faith in God. After seeing so many pious towns people and his wife at the devils meeting Young Goodman Brown now sees humanity as neither good or bad but is a mixture of both. Brown not able to face his subconscious thoughts from his dream ultimately loses his faith and believes that everyone around him is neither good nor evil. Believing this he lives the remainder of his life in dread and in
At the beginning of this short story, Young Goodman Brown is a very religious and pious man. He sees his wife, Faith, of three months as an angel and very innocent. Everything soon changes once he begins his night journey through the forest. You could depict the night trip through the forest to be his subconscious thoughts within a dream (Predmore 250). The first thing that makes it understood to be a dream is when Young Goodman Brown states, “What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow” (Hawthorne). Right after he states this a traveler appears out of nowhere like Brown's mind just summoned him there like in a dream. This could be seen as Brown dreaming of his worst fears. He is fearful of running into …show more content…
He did not give into the devil and told his beloved wife to look to heavens to see God and not give into the evil that surrounded her. However, Brown did not pass any test instead he lost all his faith in God. After seeing so many pious towns people and his wife at the devils meeting Young Goodman Brown now sees humanity as neither good or bad but is a mixture of both. Brown not able to face his subconscious thoughts from his dream ultimately loses his faith and believes that everyone around him is neither good nor evil. Believing this he lives the remainder of his life in dread and in