Young Goodman Brown Morality

The question as to how mankind develops a sense of morality, is one that has been examined by philosophers through the ages. Some believe that man’s mind at birth is a “clean slate,” and that his ideas and values are formed over a lifetime through reasoning. Others argue that man is born good by nature, but that his morality becomes clouded as he becomes corrupted by society. In his work, Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores how man’s morality is developed. His harrowing story depicts Young Goodman Brown’s internal battle, particularly during a nighttime woodland rendezvous with the Devil. Set outside of the “pious” town of Salem, Massachusetts at the time of the Salem Witch Trials, Hawthorne uses symbolism to explore the impact

To him, his young wife represents all that is good in mankind and the author adorns Faith with pink ribbons to symbolize her innocence and goodness. For example, when Faith tries to get Goodman Brown to remain at home instead of going on a mysterious nighttime journey into the deep dark woods, she “thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap” (Hawthorne, 1). Not only does the vision of his new pretty wife call out to Goodman Brown not to stray, but also her pink ribbons are further meant to prompt the young husband not to leave righteousness behind. When Goodman Brown sees Faith’s beribboned head as he walks away, he says, “she’s a blessed angel on earth; and after this one night, I’ll cling to her skirts to follow her to heaven” (Hawthorne, 1). Unable to withstand the lure of an illicit meeting in an evil forest, he ultimately plans to rely on the godliness of his wife, to ground him and keep him on a moral path. Goodman Brown uses the external model of his wife Faith, with her symbolic pink ribbons, to serve as his moral compass and to help him resist the temptation of