Erin Neff Mrs. Nunley English 102 April 27, 2002 Hidden Sins Unless I accept my virtues, I most certainly will be overwhelmed by my faults -Robert G. Coleman (Print, NP) In Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne s own concerns with puritan and sin (196) surface, as he dramatically displays the struggles of Young Goodman Brown as the protagonist is exposed to the realties of human nature. No matter how pure we think or appear to be, everyone is prone to evil and temptation, and unless we genuinely accept and conquer our sins they will eternally burden us. Hawthorne uses influential imagery, symbolism and irony to illustrate this struggle inside of Goodman Brown. Hawthorne uses visual and auditory imagery to describe the setting in his story. The setting develops a significant image throughout Young Goodman Brown. The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, a colonial American Village in the 17 th century. During this time, the Puritans strong beliefs dominated their society and religion. There was no separation between church and state. Using Salem as the setting highlights Hawthorne s message that we all have hidden sins. The image of the sunset as he leaves Salem and the approaching night as he enters the forest illustrates Goodman Brown s fear of the unknown. The various visual images that the forest creates both during Goodman Brown s journey and during the gathering deepen the impact of the theme. In the beginning of his journey, the forest is still lit. Goodman Brown does not know where his journey will lead him, but he is
Neff 2 confident in himself, his faith and his ability to resist evil. When he meets the demonic stranger (the devil) who guides him oh his journey, the forest darkens (197). The road grew wilder and drearier, and more faintly traced, and vanished at length, leaving him in the heart of the dark wilderness, still rushing onward, with the instinct that guides mortal man to evil (202). These detailed perceptions of the woods allow the reader to view the forest through Goodman Brown s eyes. Hawthorne aptly uses auditory images of the forest to signify the betrayal of the humanity of evil. The sounds of the forest intensify when Goodman Brown travels deeper into the forest. So indistinct were the sounds, he doubted whether he had heard aught but the murmur of the old forest, whispering without the wind. Then came a stronger well of those familiar tones, heard daily in the sunshine at Salem village, but never, until no, form a cloud of night (202). The forest eerily comes to life around Goodman Brown. The whole forest was peopled with frightful sounds; the creaking of the trees, the howling of wild beasts, and the yell of Indians; while, sometimes, the wind tolled like a distant church-bell, and sometimes gave a broad roar around the traveler, as if all Nature were laughing him to scorn (202). These sounds and the voices of the townspeople further confuse Goodman Brown s journey. Through his use of symbols, Hawthorne s Young Goodman Brown is an allegory. Each character personifies the underlying moral of the story. The title Goodman, given to Puritan men, in itself represents goodness. The protagonist, Young Goodman Brown, begins is journey naively believing that every Puritan in town is righteous and above evil, including himself and his family. My father never went into the woods, nor his father before him. We have been a race of honest men and good Christians since the days of Martyrs; and shall I be the first of the of Brown that ever took this path, and kept- (198). Goodman Brown does not
Neff 3 understand that he inherited the sins of his ancestors and that he cannot escape from this inheritance. The devil tries many times to prove to Goodman Brown that anyone is capable of committing sin and they cannot escape it. I have been well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and that s trifle to say. I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman so smartly through the streets of Salem. And it was I that brought your father a pitch-pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to the Indian village, in King Phillip s war (198). Goodman Brown does not understand that the Puritan s cruel acts towards people who do not share their same ideals can actually conjoin them with the devil. He continues his journey still believing, We are people of prayer, and good works, to boot, and abide no such wickedness (198). His wife s name, Faith, ironically personifies both his Puritan faith and his loss of faith in Puritans at the end of his journey. When he leaves his wife for his journey, he is full of faith with an excellent resolve for the future (197). He willing and purposely goes on this prearranged meeting knowing of its evil purpose. Goodman Brown felt himself justified in making more haste on his present evil purpose (197). Once he gets further into the forest, Goodman Brown tries to turn back. Friend, said the other [Goodman Brown], exchanging his slow pace for a full stop, having kept covenant by meeting thee here, it is my purpose now to return whence I came. I have scruples, touching the matter thou wot st of. (198). Because Goodman Brown still has faith, it doesn t take much for the devil to convince Goodman Brown to move on. Say thou so? replied he of the serpent, smiling apart. Let us walk on,
Neff 4 nevertheless, reasoning as we go, and if I convince thee not, thou shalt turn back. We are but a little way in the forest, yet. (199). Goodman Brown continues, unconsciously resuming his walk closer to the evils awaiting him (198). At one point during his trip, he believes he has resisted the evil and decides not to move on: My mind is made up. Not another step will I budge on this errand. What if a wretched old women do choose to go to the devil, when I thought she was going to Heaven! Is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith and go after her? (200). He feels that he can resist the evil and return to the arms of Faith. Even when he believes that he hears the voices of Deacon Gookin and the minister journeying deep into the forest, he still tries to find goodness around him (201): Young Goodman Brwon caught hold of a tree, for support, being ready to sink down on the ground, faint and overburdened with heavy sickness of his heart. He looked up to the sky, doubting whether there really was a Heaven above him. Yet, there was the blue arch, the stars brightening in it. (201) With this realization he cries out, With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil! (201). It is only when he thinks he hears Faith s voice that we start to see his loss of faith. My Faith is gone! cried he, after one stupefied moment. There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come devil! For to thee is this world give (202). He follows the voices into the forest, and his worst nightmare comes true when he finds the townspeople and his wife engaging in an evil meeting. The dark figure looked up them and declared, Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. Welcome, again my children, to the communion of you race! (205). Goodman then shouts out to his wife, Faith! Faith! Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked one! (205). He shouts to her for a
Neff 5 last bit of reassurance against the evil. Whether Faith obeyed he knew not (205). Although he does not know if she resists the evil, he loses faith in her and falsely judges her when he returns to Salem. Faith with pink ribbons, gazing anxiously forth, and bursting into such joy at the sight of him, that she skipt along the street, and almost kissed her husband before the whole village. But, Goodman Brown looked sternly into her face, and passed without a greeting. (206) The reoccurrence of Faith s pink ribbons bears great significance to the story. The pink hair ribbons that Faith wears symbolize both innocence and imperfections. The color pink is a combination of both white and red. White symbolizing purity, truth, innocence and the sacred and the divine (Tresidder 156). In contrast, red can signify passion, blood, or the loss of innocence. In the beginning the ribbons represent the innocence of the puritans, Then, God bless you! said Faith, with the pink ribbons, and may you find all well, when you come back. (197). During the gathering in the forest the pink ribbon connotes the imperfection of the people. But something fluttered lightly down through the air, and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it and beheld a pink ribbon (202). When he beholds this ribbon he starts losing faith in his wife s virtue and of the virtue of the people that have gathered in the forest. Another strong symbol is the staff that the devil carries with him. his staff bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought, that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself, like a living serpent (198). The serpent or snake like creature present on the devil s staff represents, underworld and the realm of the dead (Hulbert 310). The devil repeatedly tries to give Goodman Brown his staff to carry, representing the devil s knowledge of Goodman Brown s sins and his attempts to get Goodman Brown to embrace and accept evil.
Neff 6 Goodman Brown s lack of compassion and remorse are symbolized by his absence of tears. Dew is the moisture traditionally believed to fall from the heavens to rejuvenate and revitalize. In contrast, the drops that Hawthorn places on Goodman Brown s cheek are of the coldest dew that represent the coldness of his dying soul (205). Irony is prevalent towards the end of the story. When Goodman Brown awakes the next morning, he does not know if his journey was all a dream. When Goodman Brown returns to Salem, he instantly starts judging people for not being pure. The townspeople including his wife accept sin and overcome it, and therefore, continue their everyday business and live their lives positively. The minister conducts his sermons, Goody Cloyse gets her morning milk and Faith greets her husband (205-206). Although he does not deny the presence of evil inside of him, he is overwhelmed by the evil and cannot prevail over it and accept it. In the beginning he believes that the evil will not get to him and that after his journey he will be the same man he was before the evil errand. He looks forward to going on with his life and to cling to her [Faith] skirts and follow her to Heaven (197), like the journey into the forest never occurred. When he returns to Salem, everything is how he left it, but, because he can t overcome his sin, he condemns everyone else in town because they have acknowledge their mistakes. I believe he regrets going into the forest because it made him realize everyone has sinned, and that he can t go back to the innocence he once knew. He does not grasp that although he and the townspeople have sinned there is still goodness inside of them. By not accepting his weaknesses, he detached himself from the rest of the town and lives in his own grief and darkness. Even when he dies, they [townspeople] carved no hopeful verse upon his tombstone; for his dying hour was gloom (206).
Neff 7 Goodman Brown repeatedly does not understand that certain deeds that he committed or his ancestors committed can be traced back to sin and evil. Because he is a Puritan, he is naively convinced that he is above sin when he starts his journey. Due to his lack of understanding, he does not grow morally from what he now knows about himself and his fellow Puritans. Young Goodman Brown can only grow morally if he learns from and accepts his mistakes. Although none of us are above sin, we can still carry our virtues high. By just focusing on our wrongdoings, they will haunt and defeat us but if we focus on our virtues, we can conquer hidden imperfections.