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How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Symbols In Young Goodman Brown

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Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of Young Goodman Brown, is widely known for his writing portraying not only dark romanticism but also morals that come with sin. Known for intertwining history in his text, Hawthorne has made Young Goodman Brown a citizen in Salem relating to the Salem Witch Trials. Within this short story, Hawthorne incorporates multitudes of imagery and symbolism so that the reader can connect the historical context and beliefs hidden in detail throughout the story. Commonly exemplified in the story, Hawthorne has given symbolism to the characters in the story. Specifically through the third person point of view, allowing Hawthorne to freely express his focuses, and project the themes through not only the characters but …show more content…

Hawthorne shapes Goodman Brown to be the puritan figure during these times. During the Salem Witch Trials, it was merely a battle to decipher who was purely evil and doing the devil’s work (a witch) and who was innocent. This displaced who people trusted during the 19th century as shown through Young Goodman Brown. Everyone was quick to judge and trust those who did no wrong such as Goody and Faith, but as soon as they were seen in the forest committing sin, it created a sense of awakening for the society that everyone does in fact, has two sides to themselves. Even the main character is not who he seems as soon as he leaves his backbone, wife, and source of “safe haven”, Faith. “Hawthorne refers to Brown as ‘old’ and not as ‘young,’ as ‘Badman’ and not ‘Goodman’ toward the end of the story” (Cochran. 154.) demonstrates how Brown went from being a sacred human to a sinful corrupted being influenced by the ways of evil in a short period of time. Similar to the Salem Witch Trials, many (especially women) were accused of this shift, resulting in a crooked society full of transgression. Furthermore, Hawthorne symbolizes the two-faced personalities through the example of Faith’s pink ribbons in her hair. The color pink symbolizes compassion and playfulness, however, look between the lines that Hawthorne

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When one thinks of the color pink, our minds are usually drawn to innocence or purity. In Young Goodman Brown, Faith’s pink ribbons are mentioned on various occasions. “Faith thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap” (P. 1, paragraph 2, Young Goodman Brown) This leads us to associate her character with youthfulness and happiness. When Goodman Brown sees

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Hawthorne writing price also includes symbolism, and point of view, which switch from third person limited to objective. One example of symbolism includes Faith's pink ribbons.the pink ribbons represent Faith’s innocence, and once Goodman Brown sees them falling from the sky onto the dark woods, he realizes that her innocence are no longer and she has sinned. The theme of the story can be label as Guilt vs. Innocence. As stated in the text "So they parted; and the young man pursued his way, until, being about to turn the corner by the meeting-house, he looked back, and saw the head of Faith peeping after him, with a melancholy air, in spite of her pink ribbons. " this represents the lost of

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In “Young Goodman Brown,” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses diction and imagery to show how revelation often leads to corruption. Initially, Goodman Brown’s character is portrayed as a kind and innocent Puritan by Hawthorne’s use of diction. For example, by saying “my sweet, pretty wife” (1), Brown demonstrates his adoration towards his wife; he even goes as far to compare her to an angel.

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Hawthorne says, “Something fluttered lightly down through the air and caught on the branch of a tree” Faith’s pink ribbons symbolize purity. In the beginning of the story was Faith had her ribbons she was pure but at the end of the story when Young Goodman Brown saw Faith’s pink ribbon come down from the sky it represents how she succumed to evil and Hawthorne lost both his faith and his wife Faith. The third example of how Hawthorne uses symbolism to show the theme good versus evil in the story “Young Goodman Brown” is when the devil is telling Brown and Faith that they will have a new perspective of life, a life where everyone sins. In the beginning of the story Young Goodman Brown saw his family as godly and he saw Faith as pure but the devil shows him that his views are naive and the devil gives him the capability to see the dark side of everything and everyone.

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