Student Essay on Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown

Summary:   In the story of "Young Goodman Brown" setting plays an important role. It provides symbolism to certain events and provokes emotions amongst the characters, especially those of Goodman Brown.

An analysis of the setting in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown"

In the story of "Young Goodman Brown" setting plays an important role. It provides symbolism to certain events and provokes emotions amongst the characters, especially those of Goodman Brown. The story of "Young Goodman Brown" is that of a man on an adventure to feed his curiosity and to visit the dark side of his Puritan town. Once he arrives at the destination of his adventure, he realizes that many of his elders have followed in the paths of evil and that holiness and innocence has been vanquished from his once thought to be holy Puritan town. The central idea of "Young Goodman Brown," is the conflict in Goodman Brown between joining the devil and remaining "good." It is a very difficult journey for Brown, as he travels through the woods, all the while thinking of the "good" things (like his wife Faith) he would be leaving behind. This internal conflict ultimately destroys the Young Goodman Brown and creates a new man.

At the beginning of the story Goodman Brown sets out on his journey at sunset; to set out at sunset is symbolizing darkness, which in turn symbolizes evil, which begins the setting for the story of "Young Goodman Brown." As Brown is leaving he kisses his wife, Faith, goodbye; the name Faith is intentionally used to symbolize the faith in god that they both share and also what Brown is leaving behind to go on his journey. Brown's wife, Faith, is also wearing pink ribbons in her hair, which give the impression that she is an innocent godly woman. Right before Brown leaves on his journey Faith says, "pr'y thee, put off your journey until sunrise." (309). This is showing that sunrise is a more pleasant and peaceful time to go on a journey rather than at night when it is considered dangerous to lurk about, this then sets the mood for Brown's adventure. The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, is letting the readers know that something horrible is about to happen to Goodman Brown.

As Brown starts on his adventure he recalls that his wife, Faith, had dreams of this particular adventure, dreams that warned him not to go; this feeling of uncertainty sparks a feeling of anxiety in Brown as he continues walking through the forest and on with his journey. As he walks on, the scenery around him begins to change, "He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind." (310). This quote describes the dark and gloomy surroundings that Brown is walking through on his journey, it also creates the mood of fear and hesitance as he continues on his way. Then as Brown is walking along he comes to encounter a man dressed in grave and decent attire. The man states "You are late, Goodman Brown," and Brown replies by saying, "Faith kept me back awhile." (310) In literal terms he is speaking of his wife, but metaphorically he could be speaking of his faith in god and how it almost kept him from embarking on his journey. Hawthorne creates many metaphors in his story of "Young Goodman Brown." Later on in Brown's journey he meets a man with a cane that resembles a snake, the serpent is a symbol of evil, and then when Brown protests against the devil, "With heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!" (316). Brown lifts his hands to pray, and a massive black cloud hides the brightening stars to which he is praying upon. This massive black cloud is the symbol of evil destroying Brown's faith.

Throughout Brown's journey dark and light, white and black, all play a part in creating the setting for Brown's surroundings. At the end of the story when Brown returns home, it is daylight, this symbolizes innocence and freedom from the journey he had just experienced. Throughout the story Brown goes from being a static character to a dynamic one, the reason for this transformation is because of his conflict with "the devil" which is external, and by the conflict within himself which internal. The conflict Brown shares with the devil is caused by the devil tempting Brown to join the dark side. The way in which the devil lures Brown is by convincing him that his relatives and town's people have already crossed over to the dark side and denied their faith. The struggle that Brown is now facing is whether to follow is relatives and town's people or to follow his faith in god and deny the devil, that is Brown's internal conflict. These internal and external conflicts are what turned Brown into a dynamic character by the end of the story. Instead of believing and trusting that his relatives and friends are godly, he now knows that they have all been tempted by the devil and many have crossed over to the dark side; he went from being trusting to skeptical of his friends and his faith.