Young Goodman Brown the Downfall of Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown: The Downfall of Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a story that is thick with allegory. Young Goodman Brown is a moral story which is told through the perversion of a religious leader. In Young Goodman Brown, Goodman Brown is a Puritan minister who lets his excessive pride in himself interfere with his relations with the community after he meets with the devil, and causes him to live the life of an exile in his own community. Young Goodman Brown begins when Faith, Browns wife, asks him not to go on an errand. Goodman Brown says to his love and (my) Faith that this one night I must tarry away from thee. When he says his love and his Faith, he is talking†¦show more content†¦The suggestion that the woman in question is his Faith, and because of this, he easily loses his faith. Goodman Brown then loses all of his inhibitions and begins to laugh insanely. He takes hold of the staff which causes him to seem to fly along the forest-path. This image alludes to that of Adam and Eve being led out of the Garden of Eden as is Goodman Brown being led out of his utopia by the Devils snakelike staff. Hawthorne at this point remarks about the instinct that guides mortal man to evil. This is a direct statement from the author that he believes that mans natural inclination is to lean to evil than good. Goodman Brown had at this point lost his faith in God, therefore there was nothing restraining his instincts from moving towards evil because he had been lead out from his utopian image of society. At this point, Goodman Brown goes mad and challenges evil. He feels that he will be the downfall of evil and that he is strong enough to overcome it all. This is another demonstration of Browns excessive pride and arrogance. He believes that he is better than everyone else in that he alone can destroy evil. Brown then comes upon the ceremony which is setup like a perverted Puritan temple. The altar was a rock in the middle of the congregation andShow MoreRelatedCharacter Comparison of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and the â€Å"Lottery†967 Words   |  4 PagesCharacter Comparison of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and the â€Å"Lottery† . Mathew Speakman English 102 Professor Katie Robinson July 15, 2012 Thesis Statement: In Nathaniel Hawthornes â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and Shirley Jacksons â€Å"The Lottery†, we are given a picture of seemingly normal people who are capable of incredible evil. Outline: Opening mood in both stories a. Goodman Browns sets out on a walk in the forest, but knows that evil awaits him. b. TheRead More Analysis of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay1517 Words   |  7 Pages Analysis of Young Goodman Brown nbsp; Young Goodman Brown by Nathanial Hawthorne is a short story that is very interesting, as well as entertaining. This essay will first provide a brief summary of the story, followed by an analysis of the importance of symbolism. The nature of evil will then be discussed as it relates to the control of the mind of a once naive and innocent goodman Brown. The climax of the story will be analyzed and the evil within this passage will be discussed and relatedRead MoreShort Story Analysis: Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne851 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿Young Goodman Brown, by Nathaniel Hawthorne Introduction Hawthornes short story Young Goodman Brown is a tale of innocence lost. Set in New England during the Puritan era, the protagonist, Goodman Brown, goes for a walk in the woods one night and meets the devil who tells him. Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. Welcome again, to the communion of your race. According to Levin this story is a condemnation of the hypocrisy of the puritan ethic. The Salem witch trialsRead MoreThe Downfall Of A Christian Man972 Words   |  4 PagesThe Downfall of a Christian Man Evil is defined as profound immorality, wickedness, and depravity. 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The literature criticism proves the need for a multi-pronged comprehensive critical approach to the story for an adequate comprehension of numerous layers of Hawthorneâ €™s allegory that he communicates accordingly. Young Goodman Brown has a historyRead MoreCompare And Contrast Scarlet Letter And Young Goodman Brown1485 Words   |  6 Pageshumiliate her and Goodman Brown’s hopelessness after seeing people he trusts conversing with the devil. In Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester gains a new strength from the letter A after recognizing the evil nature of Puritan society. Whereas in Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† witnessing Puritan’s hypocrisy first hand, Goodman Brown falls into despair and confusing. 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Analyzing â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is dependant upon understandingRead MoreComparison Of Young Goodman Brown And The Yellow Wallpaper1211 Words   |  5 Pages In the two short stories, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† and The Yellow Wallpaper, † both protagonists, Goodman Brown and Jane’s obsession over an idea ultimately leads to their realization of their ‘failed’ judgement and the formation of a new opinion, which consequently results in the deterioration of their mental well-being. To begin, in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Brown’s beli efs are tested to the fullest extent when he discovers that his wife, Faith has succumbed to the involvement of witchcraft. Brown’s