Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown at the beginning of this story represents immaturity, goodness, and every man. He is a very religious person, happy in his marriage, trustworthy and naive. Unbeknownst what challenges lie ahead "Young Goodman Brown" journey through the dark uncertainly forest. Brown is said to be naive because he goes into this evil forest even though his wife warned him of the danger that he was about to encounter. There is a question of maturity for Goodman Brown and whether he is good or evil.

=Young Goodman Brown demonstrate the archetype of the Innocent. He becomes irrational optimism towards his wife's cautioning him to venture into the forest.

The use of symbolism in Young Goodman Brown shows that evil is everywhere, which becomes evident in the conclusion of this story. He feels like his father and grandfather committed great sins. We take a journey with him into the awful forest. There is always an association between forests and evil because of its dark and gloomy nature. This forest represents evil and destruction. That is why the witch meetings were held in the midst of it.

The "Young Goodman Brown" and "Faith" are allegorical elements. Young Goodman represents optimism, anticipation and hopefulness and Faith represents trust, loyalty and commitment. Young Goodman Brown reflects as he leaves that Faith tries to stop him because she has dreams too. The journey each must take alone, at night, away from home, the community, conscious, everyday social life, to the wilderness, forces us to realize his subconscious fears and prompting in sleep. Faith's ribbon is found in the evil forest and that's when Faith is really seen as an unclear person. The ribbons provide a connection between faith as an ideal of religious fidelity and as partner with the witches.

The old man dressed raggedly is considered to be the devil. He leads Goodman Brown through the woods with a staff. A staff to some may symbolize Godliness but this one was carved in the shape of a snake, which is associated with evil and sneakiness. This staff is what Young Goodman Brown carried into the witch meeting. Goody Cloyse was supposed to be the holy lady that taught everyone the principles of Christianity, but she was just as evil as the forest because she was also a witch. The minister and the deacon were also corrupted and evil. They all were considered to be holy and people of God, but they were just the opposite.

When Young Goodman returns to Salem Village, his eyes are opened to the true nature of his fellow citizens. He knows that what he suspected of himself is true of all men, that good people also contain evil aspects. Young Goodman Brown looses his faith in human beings, therefore condemning him to isolation forever. The story ended with Goodman Brown becoming a stern, sad darkly meditative, distrustful, if not desperate man.

In Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne used Sigmund Freud theory to analyze his real life situation. "Sigmund Freud views repressed forces might eventually be reactivated to emerge either through our creativities or through our fantasies, dreams and fears, as well as other sorts of mental conflicts." pp. 1088 Appendix D. Critical Approaches: A Case Study of Hamlet.

Nathaniel Hawthorne portray himself as Young Goodman Brown journey through the uncertainty dark forest to find himself. He sets out on his destination in the dusk hours during the seventeen century from the village of Salem. Young Goodman Brown demonstrate the archetype of the Innocent. Unknowing what challenges are ahead of him. Leaving behind his wife, Faith. Along his journey Young Goodman Brown struggle with himself if he made the right decision to go forth on his journey and his Puritan heritage. The Puritan's society came from New England in the seventeenth century and settle in Boston Massachusetts Bay. During this time the Colony of Puritan were unable to identify several illnesses such as small pox and polio in the community. The Puritan strongly believed this was the work of the devil in the Salem Village.

"In January of 1692, the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem Village became ill. When they failed to improve, the village doctor, William Griggs, was called in. His diagnosis of bewitchment put into motion the forces that would ultimately result in the death by hanging of nineteen men and women. In addition, one man was crushed to death; seventeen others died in prison, and the lives of many were irrevocably changed". "To understand the events of the Salem witch trials, it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occurred. There were the ordinary stresses of 17th-century life in Massachusetts Bay Colony. A strong belief in the devil, factions among Salem Village fanatics and rivalry with nearby Salem Town, a recent small pox epidemic and the threat of attack by warring tribes created a fertile ground for fear and suspicion. Soon prisons were filled with more than 150 men and women from towns surrounding Salem. Their names had been "cried out" by tormented young girls as the cause of their pain. All would await trial for a crime punishable by death in 17th-century New England, the practice of witchcraft".

However, Young Goodman Brown continue his journey and was approached by two elder companion who will be traveling with him. The two elder companion coach Young Goodman Brown of his journey. Young Goodman Brown becomes the archetype of the Orphan and the two elder companion are his caregivers.

As Young Goodman Brown continues on his journey

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