Test of One Man’s Faith
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown,” the author uses mystery and suspense to hold the attention of the reader. From the beginning to the end of the story, Hawthorne leads the reader into asking the question, “what does all of this witchcraft, mysticism, and the double-sided lifestyles of the characters actually mean?” many forms of symbolism the author uses. Hawthorne shows that a The reader must not look at “Young Goodman Brown” as just a suspenseful story but also see the strong faith is the greatest asset of a man or woman, and when that faith is compromised, the effects of this can cause one to be filled with doubt and cynicism toward the rest of the world.
Goodman Brown does show he has a…show more content… When Goodman Brown is initially approached by the dark figure in the forest and is told he is late, Goodman Brown replies, “Faith kept me back awhile” (141). Again the name of his wife symbolizes Goodman Brown’s own faith and shows he had to compromise it to even start into the forest. Goodman Brown sees many characters making their way toward the meeting place and is surprised to see that many of them are people of great stature, both in the religious and governmental society. Here, Hawthorne shows that all people are sinners no matter how they may appear outwardly or what position they hold in society. First, Goodman Brown sees Goody Cloyse. She is described by Hawthorne as “a very pious and exemplary dame” (142). Goodman Brown cannot believe Goody Cloyse would be out in the dark forest because she had taught him his catechism. The catechism is the initial schooling of the Bible in the Christian religion. This suggests Goodman Brown’s faith is beginning to weaken because seeing Goody Cloyse shows the foundation of his faith is weak. Although Goodman Brown attempts to keep his good faith when he sees the town minister and Deacon Gookin, he shows his faith is weakened when he “caught hold of a tree, for support, being ready to sink down on the ground, faint and overburthened with the sickness of his heart” (144). When he finds the pink…show more content… Goodman Brown still seems to have faith in his own moral beliefs, but he has lost his faith in the rest of the world to hold these beliefs. Goodman Brown’s own lack of faith in the world has made him unforgiving because he believes only evil can be begotten from evil and there is nothing that can be done to change it. Rather than seeing the good in people and their actions and forgiving their sins, Goodman Brown only frowns upon them and believes people to be hypocrites. In all reality, it is Goodman Brown who is the hypocrite because he believes he can pass judgment on those who sin, yet he does not take his own sins into consideration. “‘You have heard though it was said, “you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy” ‘but I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust’“ (Mat. 5. 43-45). The point Hawthorne is making in this story is all people are sinners, and we must not hate people for there sins but hate the sins and love the sinners. Goodman Brown’s loss of faith has blinded him from seeing
