“Young Goodman Brown,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorHigh School, 11th grade February 2008

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The short story "Young Goodman Brown," by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an unusual story, but it is very exciting to read. The story deals with a young man called Young Goodman Brown who comes upon a struggle that puts him to the test whether he has true faith in his wife as well as God. But what gets in his way through the journey is the devil himself. In this story there is a good archetypal significance (the devil figure). Through his journey, Young Goodman Brown experiences many different things, such as people from the community, and his wife Faith worship the devil.

Young Goodman Brown is a very significant character for this essay because you can tell he is innocent in many ways, that's why he wonders into the woods to test his faith. He's name is very significant to so how he is innocent, like Young means he is unwise, Goodman which means he is loyal and trustworthy, and Brown is a typical name.

When Goodman Brown starts to head toward the woods you can tell he is confused with what he should do now, that's why he begins to follow this unknown man and tries to explain to him that faith kept him back awhile. The unknown man was the devil himself; that's when the Devil also tries to test his faith when he tells Goodman Brown about how he knows and helped his father as well as his grandfather, and the tells how he also knows the government and all kind of people with high authority. At this time Goodman Brown starts to listen to the devil because he knows if he helped he's family and people with high authority he might help him find his way through the woods to help him find his faith. The devil is disguised and looks as if he could be Young Goodman Brown's brother or even his twin, so Goodman Brown won't be afraid.