Tone Of Young Goodman Brown

Puritans often had really strict things they had to do, they always had to go to church, they had to pray. Puritans were seen as very un sinful people, they would never be seen with the devil, however, that wasn’t exactly how they were. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story titled “Young Goodman Brown” it tells a short story of a man called Young Goodman Brown who is a Puritan and believes in all of his people. One night he goes on a walk with a dark figure who seems to resemble him, while on this walk Goodman sees people like the minister, his teacher, and priests. All of these people seem to be with the devil in some way, he refuses to believe it until his wife named Faith shows up. This completely destroys his world because now

Hawthorne uses this term as a way of describing how what Goodman witnessed that night has changed him for the worse. When he returns home from the appointment, he no longer has trust in the people around him, he turns them all away including his wife Faith. He’s now stern and cold towards everyone. What happened that night was “a dream of evil omen… A stern, sad, a darkly meditative if not a desperate man,” (Hawthorne). The tone that Goodman has now is shown, it shows his emotions towards everything that has happened, and the after effect of him losing trust in everyone. After that night Goodman can not enjoy everyday activities of a Puritan that he once did knowing the people he’s praying with worship the devil. He’s disappointed in them, because they act like nothing ever happened. When he saw “the family kneel down at prayer, he scowled,” (Hawthorne). Goodman’s disappointment in the people is shown through his tone, because again they are praying as if nothing happened that night. These pieces of evidence all show Hawthorne using tone, and emotions to show the dark side of the puritans, and how Godman can no longer trust these people or even enjoy the things he once

“The Overview of Young Goodman Brown” explains how the symbols appointed to these characters show their importance. Goodman is running through the forest, terrified of what he has seen. Goodman begins panicking as he sees his beloved faith with the devil, he even shouts her name, however, “the forest laughs like demons around him,” (Hawthorne). With his faith no longer there, he practically flies towards the witches' gathering. Hawthorne makes it out as if the forest was mocking his panicking, and screaming. With that being said we move into how Faith is the literal symbol of faith itself for Goodman, this is where “The Overview of Young Goodman Brown” comes into play. Goodman “Perceives that she too has been corrupted, he rushes madly towards the witches gathering,” (“Overview”). This explains how since Faith is a symbol of faith itself for Goodman when he sees that he has lost it, he loses all trust in everyone he knows, including his wife. These pieces of evidence explain how Hawthorne’s use of figurative language plays a role in this short story, “The Overview of Young Goodman Brown” helps prove Hawthorne’s use of figurative language in the short