Young Goodman Brown
             The short story "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathanial Hawthorne, takes you through Goodman Brown's travels into the forest as he battles between good and evil. Goodman Brown meets many travelers along the path to his final meeting place. There are examples of symbolism in Hawthorne's short story that this paper will attempt to reveal.
             Faith
             Young Goodman Brown had a wife called Faith; they had been married only three months. Faith's name is symbolic for the faith his has in her, his marriage, himself, and for good. There were times when Goodman Brown was in the forest and he shouted "Faith", he was shouting not only for his wife Faith, but for his faith in good. Goodman Brown hesitates when he leaves his wife and he brings his head back over the threshold of the forest to give faith one last kiss goodbye, this symbolizes the reservations he has to he her for his evil endeavor.
             Pink Ribbons
             Faith, Goodman Brown's wife, wore pink ribbons in her cap that played in the wind. Faith's ribbons are referred to several times throughout the short story indicating that they offer some symbolism. Faith's ribbons intensify her "faith" and make her appear innocent and pure. When I think of pink, I think of purity and innocence, and child like qualities. Pink is a soft warm color that is used to indicate love, and baby lotion. Later in the story, Goodman Brown catches the pink ribbon and then decided to accept evil into his life. The pink ribbon then symbolizes his loss in faith as he then decides to give into evil.
             The Path
             The path that Goodman Brown travels is dark and is filled with the gloomiest looking tall trees. The path he must travel is a narrow one and it appears to immediately close behind him, suggesting that this is a path that he must take alone and without his "faith". The gloominess and the darkness of the forest and the path are symbol...