Young Goodman Brown And Purity Essay, Research Paper

The story about Young Goodman Brown centers around the allegory of a man pitted

against his past and his desires to reach beyond that which his benighted heaven

would put before him. The allegory is Christian due to the references in Young

Goodman Brown to the devil and Satan. The beginning of the story mentions the

goodman’s wife, Faith. "Faith kept me back awhile," replied the young

man, with a tremor in his voice, caused by the sudden appearance of his

companion, though not wholly unexpected."(stanza 12) The man speaks in

reference to his wife holding him back from his journeys. I see this as an

underlying feeling of uncertainty questioned by his beliefs. "Poor Little

Faith!" thought he, for his heart smote him (stanza 5). The Faith for which

goodman speaks seems, at first, to be thoughts about his wife. When read a

second time an underlying meaning renders visible. Young Goodman Brown could of

been speaking to his heart, his faith tested and how week it felt that moment.

The goodman claims that he is from a family of good men that have never been

into the forest on such an errand to meet the devil. The goodman claims that he

is from a family of good men that have never been into the forest on such an

errand to meet the devil. "But, where is Faith?" thought Goodman Brown

(stanza 57). He searches for his wife amongst the casted uncertainty of the fire

and doubts of those around him. This leads to Young Goodman Brown being

described as a lunatic who cannot discern his religious fanaticism from reality.

And there they stood, the only pair, as it seemed where yet hesitating on the

verge of wickedness, in this dark world (stanza 66). This may also symbolize

Young Goodman Brown’s allegoric faith of Purity. The goodman Brown was torn

between what was dreams or what was reality. Although, no matter it dream or

real his faith was shooken.