Humans long to believe they are virtuous. They believe they are worthy of paradise but refuse to acknowledge the corrupt elements within them. Nathaniel Hawthorne adopts this ideology in his short story “Young Goodman Brown”. Hawthorne uses his story to reveal the conflict among following a religion, the battle against human nature, and the blurry line between good and evil. Young Goodman Brown refers to himself as “a good Christian” (Hawthorne ??), however, he bases his moral high ground on the Puritan beliefs. Deep in the woods, Goodman Brown discovers an altar with many of his fellow godly associates gathered around. Consequently, he learns sinners fill his church. A choice follows; does Goodman Brown continue to follow the unholy men, or does he turn away? Following his religion
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In the story, Goodman Brown seems to “unconsciously resum[e] his walk” deeper into the forest. Curiosity drives humans further than consciously willing to seek some type of pleasurable reward. Brown understands journeying in the forest is wrong but cannot stop himself, “‘My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him... And shall I be the first of the name of Brown, that ever took this path’” (Hawthorne ??) Human nature urges him to continue as the forest becomes more dark and twisted, forcing him to see the crooked ways of his fellow Puritans. Goodman Brown naively believes humans can be free of all sin, however he realizes “all that our nature can conceive of sin” (Hawthorne ??) Since the fall of Adam and Eve, humans gained the ability to understand the difference between right and wrong, thus being able to consciously sin which “ can appear either as liberating or destabilizing” (Boyd 332) in the sense of receiving pleasure in the act of sinning while also straying further from the path to heaven. According to Freud, sexual pleasure and aggression, force humans to act, neither of which keep one
In the story, Goodman Brown seems to “unconsciously resum[e] his walk” deeper into the forest. Curiosity drives humans further than consciously willing to seek some type of pleasurable reward. Brown understands journeying in the forest is wrong but cannot stop himself, “‘My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him... And shall I be the first of the name of Brown, that ever took this path’” (Hawthorne ??) Human nature urges him to continue as the forest becomes more dark and twisted, forcing him to see the crooked ways of his fellow Puritans. Goodman Brown naively believes humans can be free of all sin, however he realizes “all that our nature can conceive of sin” (Hawthorne ??) Since the fall of Adam and Eve, humans gained the ability to understand the difference between right and wrong, thus being able to consciously sin which “ can appear either as liberating or destabilizing” (Boyd 332) in the sense of receiving pleasure in the act of sinning while also straying further from the path to heaven. According to Freud, sexual pleasure and aggression, force humans to act, neither of which keep one