Young Goodman Brown

             The short story "Young Goodman Brown," by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is about a crucial expedition a man must venture on. Goodman Brown's task entails journeying through the forest, representing evil, refuse the temptations of the devil, and remain true to himself and his beliefs.
             Before leaving his wife and home, Goodman is determined that he has the power overcome any obstacles he may come in contact with. Upon entering the woods his confidence is rendered slightly, and suddenly becomes very aware of his surroundings. Anticipating what evils may come cause him to be suspicious of everything, and have a bit of a distorted view. After meeting the man believed to be the devil, Goodman continues to hold firm ground on his beliefs, although he appears to wearing down, physical which can start to tear down a person's mental state as well.
             After seeing his former childhood teacher and the rest of his town a not positive light, his entire perception is blurred. More emotionally disturbed then ever, Goodman's perception of life and the things around him are now blurred. After having seen some evils, Goodman is mentally drained, can no longer fight his battle and finally gives up. Even his fellow-traveler's walking stick appears to resemble a snake in motion. Although this may have seemed to have been a small misconception, it was towards the start of the story, and Goodman was still able to rationalize, and come to the conclusion that their must be other factors effecting this view.
             As the story progress however, Goodman is no longer able to differentiate between what is real and what is in his imagination. Having given up on his beliefs, faith, and the goodness in human nature, he can only see things negatively and in a pessimistic manner. After even being given a second chance in having awaken from a deep sleep and being unaware of whether or not the events of the previous 24 hours had actually occurred. G...

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Young Goodman Brown. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 14:01, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/80865.html