Young Goodman Brown example essay topic

'Young Goodman Brown' by Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the story of a man that is tempted by evil. He discovers that sometimes evil triumphs over good, and this makes a dramatic impact on his future. Brown lets his excessive pride in himself interfere with his relations with his family and community after he meets with the devil, which causes him to live the life of an exile in his own community. 'Young Goodman Brown' begins in the street at Salem village where Goodman Brown will soon leave to begin his journey. Faith, Brown's wife, does not want him to go on this journey as she says to him", 'prithee put off your journey until sunrise and sleep in your own bed tonight' " (Hawthorne 310-311). Goodman Brown replies", 'of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee' " (311).

The couple part and Goodman Brown sets forth on his journey. He is venturing into the woods to meet with the devil. This makes him feel guilty and he tries to justify the reason for his journey and lessen his guilt by saying", 'After this one night I'll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven' " (311). Goodman Brown heads down a "dreary road... ". (311).

He is then approached by his fellow traveler, who happens to be the devil. The devil had with him "a staff that bore the likeness of a great black snake' (312). The devil tries to convince Goodman Brown to continue down the path with him, but Goodman Brown declares that he kept his meeting with the devil and no longer wishes to continue on. He says", 'My father never went into the woods on such an errand, nor his father before him. We have been a race of honest men and good Christians' " (312). The devil is quick to point out, however, that it was he that was with Brown's father and grandfather when they "set fire to an Indian village" and "lashed the Quaker women" (312).

These acts show that he does not come from a family of 'good Christians' (312). When Goodman Brown's first excuse not to carry on with the errand proves to be unconvincing, he says he can't go because of his wife, ' 'Faith. It would break her little heart; and I'd rather break my own' " (313). At this point the devil agrees with him and tells him to turn back and then points to a figure of a woman on the path. The woman on the path is Goody Cloyse.

The woman who taught Brown his catechism in youth, and was still his moral and spiritual adviser" (313). Ironically, he blames the woman for consorting with the Devil but his own pride stops him from realizing that his faults are the same as the woman's. Once again, Brown is determined not to proceed any further. He declares", 'my mind is made up.

Not another step will I budge on this errand' " (314). The devil proceeds further down the path and leaves Goodman alone "applauding himself greatly" for making a stand (314)". 'With heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!' " (315). As Goodman Brown is feeling good about himself, he hears the voices of the minister and Deacon Gookin. He overhears discussing that 'there is a goodly young woman to be taken into communion' at the meeting and fears that it may be his Faith (314). Goodman Brown 'begins to doubt whether there really [is] a Heaven above him' (315).

He declares that ' 'With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!' ' (315). Again, Brown makes a promise to keep his faith unto God. Brown hears what he believes to be voices that he has heard before in the community. The sound comes to him again and this time it is followed by 'one voice, of a young woman' (315). Goodman believes this is Faith and he yells out her name only to be mimicked by the echoes of the forest.

A pink ribbon flies through the air and Goodman grabs it. At this moment, he has lost all faith in the world and declares that there is 'no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is the world given" (315). At this point, Goodman Brown gets angry and challenges evil.

At this point, Goodman Brown has lost his faith in God, therefore there was nothing restraining him from moving forth again down the path. Brown sets forth again. He comes upon the ceremony. Brown starts to take notice of the faces that he sees in the service and he recognizes them all, but he then realizes that he does not see Faith. If Faith was not there, as he had hoped, he would not have to live alone in his community of heathens, which he does not realize that he is already apart of.

The altar was a rock in the middle of the congregation and there were four trees surrounding the congregation. The ceremony begins with a cry to ' 'Bring forth the converts!' ' (317). Goodman Brown steps forward. 'He had no power to retreat one step, nor to resist, even in thought... ' (317). Another person was also brought forth in "the slender form of a veiled female, led between Goody Cloyse and Martha Carrier" (317).

Goodman Brown at this point seems to be unconsciously entering this service of converts to the devil. The leader informs them to look upon each other and Goodman Brown finds himself face to face with Faith. The leader begins up again declaring that 'Evil is the nature of mankind' and he welcomes the converts to the 'communion of [their] race' (318). The leader then dips his hand in the rock to draw a liquid from it and 'to lay the mark of baptism upon their foreheads' (318). Brown yells, ' 'Faith! Faith!

Look up to Heaven and resist the wicked one!' ' (318). At this, the ceremony ends and Brown finds himself alone. He does not know whether Faith resisted and kept her faith. Brown returns to Salem the next morning "staring around him like a bewildered man" (318). The idea he once had of his community is now a vague memory.

He felt like an outsider in a world of devil worshippers: Old Deacon Gookin was at domestic worship, and the holy words of his prayer were heard through the open window". 'What God doth the wizard pray to?' " quoth Goodman Brown (318). His anger towards the community is exemplified when he sees Faith who is overwhelmed with excitement to see him and he looks 'sternly and sadly into her face, and passed on without a greeting' (318). Brown can not even stand to look at his own wife. Brown feels he can push his own faults on to others and look down at them rather than look at himself and resolve his own faults with himself. He was devastated by the discovery that the potential for evil resides in everybody.

This makes a dramatic impact on the rest of his life because of his inability to face this truth and live with it. The story, which may have been a dream, and not a real life event, left doubt in Brown's mind. It led to his isolation from the community. Goodman Brown was never the same after his journey: "Often, awaking suddenly at midnight, he shrank from the bosom of Faith; and at morning or eventide, when the family knelt down at prayer, he scowled and muttered to himself, and gazed sternly at his wife, and turned away" (319). Brown was buried with 'no hopeful verse upon his tombstone; for his dying hour was gloom' (319).