Evil Is The Nature Of Mankind Essay, Research Paper

“Evil is the nature of mankind”

Every man, at a time in his life, is born knowing evil. Evil constitutes the actions and consequences resorted to man. Men, using their natural instincts, are evil by heart but are taught otherwise. The nurturing love and discipline of others transforms evil men into the pure souls they are.

The nature of men is evil. Evil is born with men until they develop a sense of goodness in their hearts. The evil within all men is transformed into this goodness we see because the nurturing given by their mothers. In Goodman Brown’s experience with the flaming fire; his Father beckoning him into the flame and his mother warning him off, he subconsciously attempts to fight the force of evil with the nurturing given to him by his mother.

“At the word, Goodman Brown stepped forth from the shadow of the trees and approached the congregation, with whom he felt the loathsome brotherhood by the sympathy of all that was wicked in his heart. He could have well nigh sworn that the shape of his own dead father beckoned him to advance, looking downward from a smoke wreath, while a woman, with dim features of despair, threw out her hand to warn him back. Was it his mother? But he had no power to retreat one step, nor to resist, even in thought, when the minister and…”

Evil is the root to all of unnurtured mens’ deeds. The consequences brought upon him were the result of his evil actions. Goodman Brown’s grandfather committed an act of evil when he whipped a Quaker woman in public. His consequence suffered, as brought on by this evil act, was a sentence to hell. Actions and consequences brought on by the evilness of unnurtured men can be prevented by the teaching of purity and goodness.

Turning evil men into pure souls can only be done by the love and discipline of others. Mothering love and care teaches children not to be evil. Raising and loving a person, especially a man, taught him to be good and pure instead of evil. As for saying, “Evil is the nature of mankind”, it is true because man is born evil, and transformed by the nurturing of loved ones around him. The goodness resulted in Goodman Brown’s story, when he was given a situation whether to choose his mother, the pure nurturing aspect, or his father, the one doomed to hell. He was given a choice and yet could not decide between them. Young Goodman Brown was a prime example proving that men are born evil, that is their nature; they are taught purity and goodness by the love and strength of the ones that love them. The question of how strong those bonds are, determines where they will lead later in life.