The Importance Of Faith In Hurley's Young Goodman Brown

The story begins with the main character parting ways with his wife. The reader doesn't exactly know where he is going or what is going on, and it’s not completely clear even at the end of the story. The characters presented in the story are Young Goodman Brown, Faith, Goody Cloyse, Deacon Gookin, the minister and the old man. Faith has the most significant name out of all the characters. Throughout the story Young Goodman Brown keeps saying that he has to go back because of Faith, or for Faith. Faith represents his belief in God, his belief in the people of the town and in everything he knows and believes is good. She presents his faith in the story, that is constantly holding him back or that he feels like he must hold on to and seemingly seems to be keeping him from the truth. His faith keeps everything looking good and pure, and keeps him away from evil. The importance of Faith represents his own psychological struggle. This leads him to experience this whole crazy and seemingly magical experience which could all be in his mind. …show more content…
He reveals that he is going somewhere with an “evil purpose.” This is discussed in Paul J. Hurley’s Young Goodman Brown’s “Heart of Darkness.” He writes, “Hawthorne makes clear at once that Goodman Brown’s purpose on this night is an evil one. The face that he is aware of the sinfulness of his trip destroys any belief we may have in Goodman Brown’s ‘simple and pious nature.’” (412) This puts him in a bad light as he ventures into what seems to be the darkest part of the forest which is illustrated as, “a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest." He is very afraid as if something is going to jump out and attack him and it makes us wonder where he is going and what he is planning to