In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown, the use of symbolism is comparable and alludes to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Temptation and the loss of innocence are strong themes in both stories as Young Goodman Brown finds himself as the pure representation of human beings that fall into temptation, like Adam and Eve, thus, experiencing the loss of their innocence. Symbols that are strong through both stories are the dark forest, the serpent, and the consequences of temptation on both Adam and Faith. One of the most evident of the shared symbols is the setting that both stories share. In Adam and Eve, both characters rejoice in the life that they share within the Garden of Eden. However, Eve’s curiosity calls her into the forbidden part of the garden where the Tree of Knowledge is located. Just like Eve, Young Goodman Brown enters the depths of the dark forest to satisfy a sense of curiosity based upon the gatherings that are happening. Both characters in the story are called into temptation by figures like the serpent and the elderly man. …show more content…
The man meeting Goodman Brown in the forest is the purest representation of the devil, himself, which is why the man’s serpent staff is such a significant symbol within this allegory. As Eve fights to resist the serpent’s temptation, in regards to the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, Young Goodman Brown continuously pauses within the journey to question the old man about his true intentions for bringing him into the depths of darkness. More so, as both Goodman Brown and Eve fall into and accept the temptation that the devil offers them, the consequences of their actions are difficult to bear for those that love them the