Criticism And Symbolism In Young Goodman Brown By...

Puritans were a group of people who were discontent with the Church of England and worked towards a more purified side of religious beliefs, morals and society. In a 3rd person point of view their attempt for moral righteousness was a failure, as they were extremists who had no tolerance to those who didn’t follow their beliefs. Nathaniel Hawthorne was raised in New England, a part of a country where Puritan Heritage was strong. Moreover, his ancestors were involved in the infamous Salem Witch Trials. The story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† was written to show the guilt Hawthorne felt of having these Puritan roots. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Nathaniel Hawthorne emphasizes the hypocrisy of his historical religious roots of Puritan communities with†¦show more content†¦. .† he took shows he is only surrounded by the darkness that lurks about. Goodman Brown’s wife, Faith, becomes a convenient and effective outlet for Hawthorne to illustrate Brown’s own faith. At the beginning of tthe narrative, Hawthorne uses the description of Faith to show Goodman Brown’s own faith: â€Å"thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap. . .† Here, Hawthorne gives Faith a pure image in which he implies that Goodman Brown’s own faith is pure as well. The reassuring replies Goodman Brown gives to Faith as he parts suggest that his faith is powerful: â€Å". . .’say thy prayers, dear Faith. . . no harm will come to thee.’† Although he knows he is about to partake in a sinful act, his belief in faith will bring him home safely. His faith took an even more critical hit when he found the pink ribbon of his wife in the dark forest. At this point of the story, Brown’s wife, Faith, still remains an insignia of his own faith: ‘â⠂¬Å"My Faith is gone!’ Cried he. . . ‘Come devil! For to thee is this world given.’† At the congregation of evil, he asks himself, â€Å"‘But where is Faith.’† This is where his faith was completely destroyed as he only sees the bad in people. At the very end, Hawthorne writes, â€Å"Often, waking suddenly at midnight, he shrank from the bosom of Faith,† suggesting Goodman Brown is still holding on to the little faith he has but his knowledge of the wickedness in his society causes him to withdrawShow MoreRelated Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Browns Apocalypse Essay1006 Words   |  5 PagesNathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Browns Apocalypse      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most criticism and reflection of Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown centers on a good versus evil theme. 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He was born in Salem, Massachusetts to his parents to Nathaniel Hathorne and Elizabeth Clarke Manning. Nathaniel Hawthorne was originally named Nathaniel Hathorne but he later added a w to make his name Hawthorne in order to hide the relation to his ancestor John Hathorne, who was the only judge involved in the Salem witch trials who never felt