Innocence And Loss Of Faith In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

The story “Young Goodman Brown” is about a puritan man who loses his faith throughout a journey in a forest but then questions if he ever actually had faith to begin with. Faith is shown in this story by Browns struggles with his personal beliefs in faith and his weakness of morality, these things are shown through his questionable loss of faith, the symbolic points and theme throughout the story. Nathaniel Hawthorne clearly depicts faith at the beginning of the short story by his tremendous selection of his characters. From the minister to deacon Gookin, Mrs. Goody Cloyse who’s depicted as piety and kind hearted and the presence of one of his main character Faith. Her name is symbolic to depict her dedication towards her religious beliefs. It is emphasized when she asks her husband Goodman to stay till morning to leave and he replies by reminding her to say her prayers and go to sleep. Goodman Brown is also portrayed as a man of faith by the constant tussles in his mind. He questions

Through Goodman Brown’s vivid dream while he ventures in the dark forest, we see how he is surrounded by people he had considered faithful. From the minister, to the deacon, Mrs. Cloyse and finally beside him, his last glimpse of faith, his wife Faith. Innocence is simply the lack of guilt. Nathaniel Hawthorne cultivates innocence and purity in this story through Faith. Even in the midst of Mr. Goodman’s struggle and guilty conscience, he struggles whether or not to keep his ‘faith’. Faith is Goodman’s wife but also figuratively depicts Mr. Brown’s religious faith. A play of words with both literal and figurative meaning is used. Faith asking Brown not to leave and then later Brown telling the ‘devil’ that he was delayed by Faith. Figuratively it shows how Brown is held back because of his religious faith which could have stopped him from getting-together with the