Young Goodman Brown: Conflict between Good and Evil - Essay Example

“Young Goodman Brown Conflict between Good and Evil. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “Young Goodman Brown,” tells the story of a young man who sets out on a journey into the forest at night, leaving behind his newly married wife. He meets with the devil and witnesses a gathering of evil minded people in the forest. There is a dark, dream-like quality to the events of the night and the reader is not sure whether the narration is only imaginary or the description of a real experience. The next morning, the young man returns home a changed man. “Young Goodman Brown” deals with the theme of good and evil. Hawthorne intends to show the reader the struggle between good and evil which goes on in every individual. He points out the hypocrisy which is common in the Puritan society of that age. The Puritans hide the evil in themselves underneath pretense. Hawthorne uses characterization, setting and symbolism to show that human nature is a mixture of good and evil. Hawthorne’s characters all show themselves to be a combination of good and evil. Young Goodman Brown first speaks proudly of his ancestors: “We have been a race of honest men and good Christians since the days of the martyrs” (Hawthorne, 1034). The Devil is quick to point out that the Goodman’s grandfather, a constable, was also the man who cruelly accused a poor woman of witchcraft, beating her on the streets. Under the devil’s influence, the Goodman’s father set fire to an Indian village. Young Goodman Brown then boasts of the stern morals of the general population of the Puritans of New England, who are “people of prayer, and good works to boot, and abide no such wickedness” (Hawthorne, 1035). The demon in turn boasts that he is on intimate terms with public persons ranging from the deacons to the governor. Goody Cloyse, “a very pious and exemplary dame, who had taught him his catechism in youth” (Hawthorne, 1035) also proves to be close to the devil; in fact, Goody Cloyse is a witch who uses “the fat of a new-born babe” in her evil spells (Hawthorne, 1036). Even the pious old minister of the Goodman’s village church and his assistant, Deacon Gookin, are eagerly on their way to join the devil’s gathering. Young Goodman Brown himself is the best example of a good man who cannot control the dark side of his nature. He is confident in the strength of his goodness and asks his wife, “What my sweet, pretty wife, dost thou doubt me already?” (Hawthorne, 1033). However, although he continues to feel some doubts about his journey, and expresses his reluctance to accompany the devil into the forest, he continues his way to the forest. He shows his hypocrisy by being aware of the evil purpose of his journey and hiding from the people he knows. Finally, at the scene of his baptism into evil, Goodman Brown steps forward voluntarily to join the devil worshippers, “with whom he felt a loathful brotherhood by the sympathy of all that was wicked in his heart” (Hawthorne, 1040). Even Faith, who is her husband’s support in virtue, gives in to the evil side of her nature by joining the group of devil-worshippers. Hawthorne shows the reader the evil which lies hidden in the heart of all his characters. The setting of the story emphasizes the struggle between good and evil. The story is set in Salem village, the scene of the Salem Witch Trials, where many unfortunate women were accused of practicing Black Magic and were cruelly executed. This setting makes the reader think of the cruelty of man and gives the reader an expectation that the story will explore evil. The plot of the story moves between two settings: the village and the forest. At the beginning of the story, Hawthorne shows the village as a place of calm sunset and peaceful streets. Again, at the end of the story, the village is seen in the bright light of the morning and its people are engaged in virtuous activities: Goody Cloyse is teaching a little girl her Catechism, the old minister is preparing his sermon and gives Young Goodman Brown his blessing,s and Deacon Gookin is piously saying his prayers. Faith is present at both times, giving the setting its light and happiness. In contrast to this open, bright village setting, the forest is shown as a dark, forbidding place which is filled with evil. This contrast in settings is a reflection of the good and evil in human nature. The gathering of devil worshippers takes place “at the hour of midnight” (Hawthorne, 1039) in a clearing in the dark forest. The dark horror of such a setting suggests evil. At the same time, Hawthorne describes the meeting place on the lines of a church, with the rough rocks of the forest landscape showing a “natural resemblance either to an alter or a pulpit,” and the flaming pines resembling “candles at an evening meeting” (Hawthorne, 1039). Again, the devil worshippers song resembles a church hymn “such as the pious love, but joined to words which expressed all that our nature can conceive of sin” (Hawthorne, 1040). A basin in the rock takes the place of the holy water font in churches and the entire ceremony takes the form of a baptism ceremony in church. By comparing the worship of the devil in the forest with the worship of God in church, Hawthorne emphasizes the conflict between good and evil. Symbolism is used freely in the story to show the strong association and the contrast between good and evil. The most important symbol of goodness is Young Goodman Brown’s wife, Faith. As her name suggests, she is the guardian of the good part of her husband’s nature and his defense against the evil which tempts him. Faith tries to keep him safe at home when he sets out on his evil journey. When Goodman Brown is horrified to find that all his spiritual guides are touched by evil, he still tries to resist temptation by thinking of his ‘Faith’: he declares, “With heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!” (Hawthorne, 1038). Faith’s “pink ribbons” suggest happiness and the joy man can get from the simple comforts of life. When these pink ribbons “fluttered lightly down through the air and caught on the branch of a tree,” showing that even Faith is not beyond the temptations of evil, Young Goodman Brown despairs and surrenders to the pull of the evil which lies hidden in his own heart (Hawthorne, 1038). Faith and her pink ribbons are cleverly used by Hawthorne to appeal to the reader’s emotions and add the appeal of pathos to the story. The forest is the symbol of evil and suggests that evil can lie hidden under an exterior appearance of goodness: “the traveller knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead” (Hawthorne, 1034). The devil’s staff, which “bore the likeness of a great black snake” (Hawthorne, 1034), is again a symbol of evil which contrasts with the good of the dew-fresh maple branch which dries up at the touch of the devil. Evil must be kept at a distance, or it will overcome good. “Young Goodman Brown” is Hawthorne’s lesson that good and evil exist side-by-side in human nature. The author uses characterization, setting and symbolism to warn that every individual must guard against the evil side of his nature and struggle to keep the devil away. All the characters in the story try to hide the evil which exists in them by using hypocrisy in their outer behavior. But evil cannot be prevented from showing itself at some point of time. Hawthorne further stresses the coexistence of good and evil with the setting of his story, which moves between the sunlit village and the dark forest. He also uses symbolism to show that good and evil go hand in hand. When evil is allowed to win, there is no hope. Young Goodman Brown gives in to the temptation of his evil nature and is changed by his experience in the forest. He returns to his home, forever seeing only the evil in every human being. He is completely blind to the goodness of life and bitterly refuses to believe that any virtuous quality can be true. He goes to his grave as an unhappy, hopeless man. Works Cited. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Young Goodman Brown.” In Literature for Composition. (10th edition).Ed. Barnet, Burto, and Cain. City of Publication: Publisher, Year. Page range of entry. Print. Address to access the e-text I have used: http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=HawYoun.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=1&division=div1 Read More