Nathaniel Hawthorne's Use of Symbolism
             "Young Goodman Brown," by Nathaniel Hawthorne is not only an entertaining story about faith and the curiosity of sin but his use of symbols brings the readers attention to certain elements in the story that keep the story interesting and educational. Faith, her pink ribbon, and the dark and fiery woods establish the mood and theme of the story.
             The first use of symbolism in this story, and probably the most important, is Hawthorne's use of Faith. His play on words show that Faith is not only the name of Young Goodman Brown's wife but also his faith in God, himself, and all mankind. When greeted by the devil in the woods Brown says, "Faith kept me back awhile." Although he literally meant his wife Faith made him late, symbolically he meant that his faith in God kept him back from his curiosity of sin. Again toward the end of the story Brown exclaims, " My Faith is gone." He literally
             means his wife Faith is gone because he found her pink ribbon yet symbolically he means his faith in mankind is gone because he believes everyone is corrupt.
             The next use of symbolism in the story is Faith's pink ribbon. It symbolizes Faith's youthfulness, beauty, and innocence when the narrator says "letting the wind play with the pink ribbons of her cap." Next Brown hears Faith's voice in the woods and calls to her. She doesn't reply and Brown interprets this, "something fluttered lightly down thought the air, and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon," as Faith's innocence being taken away because of her sins.
             A third key symbol is the dark woods. "He had taken a dreary road darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind." Hawthornes's use of the woods and darkness represent evil and sin. He shows this again when he used a fire in the woods. "Thus
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