Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts. In addition, his great-great-grandfather was a judge presiding over the infamous Salem witch trials. As a result, Hawthorne built resentment toward "Puritan pride." So he wrote a allegory about his feelings in 1835. In "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the story. Three significant symbols are the title character, his wife, and pink.
Hawthorne uses the name "Young Goodman Brown" as a symbol in the story. "Young" infers the title character is naive and new at life. Moreover, "Goodman" suggests his self-righteousness thinking he is a good man. Furthermore, "Brown" indicates he is a commoner. Thus, the full name implies he is the average naive and self-righteous Puritan.
In addition to the title character's name being a symbol, his wife's name is a symbol. At the beginning of the story, Goodman Brown leaves on a journey without Faith, his new wife. In the same way, the Puritans left their faith "at home" and set out on a journey apart from their bride, Jesus Christ. Finally, Goodman Brown's desire to journey without Faith leads to her sacrifice. For example, Goodman complains to the devil saying, "Faith kept me back awhile." In the same way, the Puritans sacrifice their faith and try living self-righteously. But since no one is righteous, their attempt was in vain.
In addition, Hawthorne incorporates "pink" as a symbol in the story. Hawthorne uses pink as a symbol four times in the story. In addition, in the Bible scarlet represents sin while white signifies purity. Thus, this symbol represents the blend of purity and sin. In addition, Hawthorne mentions "Faith, with pink ribbons" inferring his faith takes on this blend of purity and sin. Finally, Goodman Brown exclaims to Faith, "Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One!" Thus, he shows he never completely loses his faith.
In conclusion, Hawthorne uses Young Goodman Brown, Faith, and pink to enhance the story. For example, the names Faith and Young Goodman Brown symbolize more than a name. The name Young Goodman Brown symbolizes the average naive Puritan. In addition, Faith represents religious faith. Also, pink connotes the blend of sin and purity in Goodman's faith.
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