Nathanial Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown” start the story at sunset, which makes me anticipate something dark is about to occur. From reading other stories by Hawthorn, I expected the story to focus on puritan society and early American life. I found that this story was focused during the seventeenth century, during the Salem witch trials, and the rivalry between the Quakers and the puritans. Hawthorne explores Brown’s inner struggle with hypocrisy, his faith, and his own demons. Hawthorn uses elements of the era his ancestors lived through to attract the reader’s attention to the evil in humans, because of this the reader travels the same evil road through the forest with Goodman. Through the journey, it makes us think about how strong our faith is and where it lies. With Goodman, it was with his wife Faith, where it seems safe and cheerful. This makes me wonder if this is the same struggle that Hawthorne faced while was writing this story. As I began reading, I became aware of many of the symbols Hawthorne integrated into the story. The word that stands out to me the most is Goodman’s wife’s name, Faith. Her name implicates a religious theme, good versus evil. Faith tries to talk Goodman from leaving on his journey, but he …show more content…
Hawthorne mentions the ribbons three times at the beginning of the story. These ribbons seem to symbolize purity and goodness, or, at least, it connects Goodman to the goodness he left behind. While in the forest the pink ribbons are what breaks up the dreariness of the darkness and remind Goodman of Faith waiting at home. In the quote “My faith is gone... There is no good on earth: and sin is but a name,” (Hawthorne), Faith is his anchor to reality. Whereas the pink ribbons connect Goodman to good, the cane connects us to evil. The cane reminds me of a story of the bible I learned in Sunday school about men throwing down canes that turned into