Young Goodman Brown

             A naive young man, who only sees the good in everyone, sets out on a dark journey. Young Goodman Brown's faith is tested, as his eyes are opened to the true nature of mankind.
             Young Goodman Brown embarks on a journey at sunset. His young wife, Faith begs him to put his trip off until sunrise, but knowing that the deed had to be done this evening. Her behavior suggests that she is afraid of what Goodman Brown would find on his journey. Her pink ribbon and her playfulness suggest that she is not as innocent as she seems. Goodman Brown proclaims, "My love and my Faith," as his reply to her pleading, has a double meaning for him, because he has, at this moment, full and unconditional trust in his wife, Faith.
             As Goodman Brown continues out of the village, he senses the depression of Faith as he looks back at her, which he may have mistaken for her feelings of guilt and sin, and her knowing that he would soon find out things that she would rather he not know. The ribbons again, are a signal that she is not as innocent as she seems.
             Brown is aware of the journey's meaning "With this excellent resolve for the future, Goodman Brown felt himself justified in making more haste on his present evil purpose." (P317) In fact, Brown took the dreariest, gloomiest way into the forest, suggesting that he desired to see the darkest things revealed to him.
             A dark figure of a man confronts Brown and chastises him for being late. Brown replies, "Faith kept be back awhile." His wife certainly detained him briefly, but his religious faith probably slowed his steps more. As the two travel through the forest, the older traveler, described as 50 years old, the same rank as Brown, and similar likeness. The older traveler is actually the devil in the form of an older, wiser Goodman Brown. Before long, the older traveler begins to reason with Brown, who
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Young Goodman Brown. (2000, January 01). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 20:49, September 02, 2026, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/7277.html