Young Goodman Brown, a short story, by Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates how themes affect the morals of anyone, at any time, and in any place. Hawthorne’s writings are often bizarre yet richly filled with life lessons such as: natural weaknesses of human nature, the vulnerability of human soul to temptation, anybody is a victim of evil, and righteousness does not gain complete protection from sin. The setting is in a Salem village (mostly within the surrounding forest), around the time of the witch trials, with Young Goodman Brown (YGB) a supposedly devout Puritan who is bombarded until he questions everything he once believed. Although there are five themes developed inside the story line, all of them apply to the main theme of the fight between …show more content…
By the end of the story, it is surprising how right it feels to be confused. “Had Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting? Be it so if you will;....a dream of evil omen for young Goodman Brown” (Hawthorne 391). Everything that occurred previously is questioned on whether it was real or a nightmare. YGB learns to see the world in terms of pure good versus pure evil, not even interested if he experiences were real or not, only if what is indicated about human nature yet the narrator uses strange, ambiguous descriptions to suggest moral matters will never be that clean cut. Hawthorne had conflicted attitudes about the past, he was horrified by the Salem witch trials, but admired his ancestors for their independence and hard work, and YBG emerges with similar mixed attitudes. “ ‘I marvel they never spoke of these matters...We are a people of prayer, and good works to boot, and abide no wickedness” (Hawthorne 384). By both praising and criticizing his ancestors’ stern way of living, the historical themes are secondary to the timeless issues of good, evil, and personal