young goodman brown
Authorial Methods in Young Goodman Brown In Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, "Young Goodman Brown," the author uses exceptional amounts of both allegory and symbolism to give the reader a vivid perception of his story. Goodman's wife, the Forest, and many other examples are used in this story. The first evidence of these authorial methods in the story is Goodman Brown's wife, Faith. Though Faith is her actual name, there is many times in the story where she is viewed as something based on religion. He says "I will cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven" (68). This is more of a religious statement referring to Faith as an angel. Another example is when the old man asks why he is so late, he replies "Faith kept me back a while" (68). This contains a double meaning. His wife Faith did keep him back, but his religious Faith slowed his progress also. After Goodman Brown realizes that the people of his village have captured his wife, he says, "My Faith is gone. There is no good
This means that since they have taken his wife Faith, he has lost all religious Faith in the world and that he is giving himself to the devil. At one extremity of an open space, hemmed in by the dark wall of the forest, arose a rock, bearing some rude, natural resemblance either to an altar or a pulpit and surrounded by four blazing pines, their tops aflame, their stems untouched, like candles at an evening meeting. But the only thing that about him that could be fixed upon as remarkable was his staff which bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought that it might almost be seen to twist and wiggle itself like a living serpent. Come devil; for to thee the world is given" (73). At one point in the story, Satan even admits to the idea that he is the devil. Still they may have been taken for father and son. He also "hints" to Goodman Brown that he is the devil by saying "The deacons of many a church have drunk the communion wine with me" (69). The author leads the reader to believe that the old man in the forest is Satan himself. The only thing that doesn't resemble his father is the black snake-like staff that he is holding. This means that many people that have been respected have been persuaded to do evil things with him. But instead of correcting her he simply replies "Then the Goody Cloyse knows her old friend?" (70). The old man in the story also has some forms of allegory. There are many explanations to back this up. The use of allegory and symbolism were good choices to do so. After touching Goody Cloyse on her neck she cries "The devil!" (70).
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