Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown

Dreading the Dark of Humanity Nathaniel Hawthorne?s ?Young Goodman Brown,? widely regarded as one of his finest works, illustrates vividly how society and culture can influence one?s sense of reality (53 ). Goodman Brown is everyman of general intelligence striving to live and achieve a better life (60 ). Faith and righteousness were daily themes in Puritan society, however when Goodman Brown faces change in his perception, the once solid foundation is washed away. The journey into the wilderness enlightens Brown to societal truths amidst his struggle within himself and against fellow men. It is a dreaded walk on the dark side of the human heart (26 ). Consuming most of Hawthorne?s tale is a test of faith. For three months Brown has been married to a young woman symbolizing his faith (60 ). She even carries this name and lets her role in the story tie to that aspect of her husband?s life. Brown calls for his wife three times as he stands before the devil at the alter. Goodman then cries, ?My Faith is gone.?(9 ) As Brown is drawn into the deepest shadows of the forest and enters the devils sacred service, Hawthorne dramatizes his feeling that once commitment to evil has been made, its purpose must prevail by securing a shelf in Goodman?s soul. There is no struggle of power to oppose it and in this tale the power is so unequal that Faith, supposedly the Devil?s antagonist, is drawn into the camp of the enemy (11 ). She appears at the service as a baptismal candidate along with Goodman, a faint insinuation that Faith has her own covenant with the Devil. This also suggests that her complicity may be prior to and deeper t han Brown?s, as Faith could?ve played a role in the path of her husband (12 ). Her possible involvement then brings on a submerged irony in the manner in which Faith comes to meet Goodman when he returns to the village, as if she had not been present in the forest. She greets him in a m... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown In 1835, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† using analogies and historical chronologies to make the story of a young man traveling in the woods who meets up with the devil and sees the fate of the townspeople he loves and lives with. Far from a simple story, Hawthorne utilizes his own ancestry and a brilliance all of his own to teach a moral lesson to the reader and instill a sense of virtue. The story told is one of peril and fright, but the message given is one that can leave you with a positive impression and an awareness of your own self. Hawthorne’s fascination with seventeenth-century Puritan society can be attributed to his own ancestry. His great-great-great-grandfather came from England in 1630 with John Winthrop’s great migration, the first of his family line in America, and helped with the settling of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He settled first in Dorchester then later moved to Salem where his influence among the Puritan’s only grew. A close friend of Winthrop and other prominent officials in the town, William Hathorne, rose to the office of speaker in the House of Delegates and became a major in the Salem militia (Stewart, 1). He boldly defied Charles II in declining to return to England, along with Governor Bellingham, to dispute the accusation of â€Å"the colony’s persistent insubordination to royal authority† (Turner, 60). However, despite his heroic American traits, William Hathorne’s infamy lies in the prosecution of the Quakers and his brutality in hi s sentencing. Hawthorne wrote about him in â€Å"The Custom House†: The figure of the first ancestor, invested by family tradition with a dim and dusky grandeur, was present to my boyish imagination as far back as I can remember. It still haunts me, and induces a sort of home feeling with the past†¦.He was a soldier, legislator, judge; he was a ruler in the Church; he had all the Puritanic traits, both good and evil. He was lik... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† tells a tale of a young man, Goodman Brown, who takes a journey through the wilderness to define his true belief in his religious faith. Not only does Goodman Brown discover the inner evil in the holiest people he knows, but he finds out that his own wife, Faith, has turned to the devil. Hawthorne uses Faith and others to prove to people that every one has a little bit of evil and sin in them. Before Goodman Brown leaves Faith tells him that he should stay and not leave her on during the night, but he answers her back telling her it will be all right â€Å"My love and Faith.†(614) This jumpstarts the story by symbolizing that Faith is just not his wife, but shows that she is his religious faith as well. Goodman Brown refers to Faith throughout the journey in many different ways. When Goodman Brown first encounters the devil, he is asked why he is late. He replies â€Å"Faith kept me back awhile.†(614) Showing that he is not sure he really wants to proceed with the journey. In the mysterious woods, side-by-side walking with the devil Goodman Brown is very confused on continuing into the woods, but he keeps seeing holly people on the same path that he is traveling following the devil. Goodman Brown sees the first of his acutance, which shows the evil within themselves named goody Cloyse. She is encountered by brown and the devil as they are walking through the woods, the devil â€Å"pointed his staff at a female figure on the path†(616). This figure is an important figure in brown’s life. She is the same dame â€Å"who had taught his catechism, in youth and was still his moral and spiritual adviser† (616) Surprisingly, she turns around and begins a conversation with the devil. â€Å" The devil!† screamed the moral old lady. â€Å"Then goody Cloyse knows her old friends?† observed the traveler, confronting her, and leaning on his writhing stick. (616). This discussion be... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Reaction to â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is an intriguing story that has been analyzed and debated for years. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and learned a great deal from it. I believe that this story is one of the best stories ever written. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is about a man who tests his faith and takes a journey with the devil in a dark forest. The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem witch trials. Goodman Brown had an internal conflict between good and evil. Even though his wife, Faith, tried to persuade him not to go, he felt that he needed to go on this trip that night. The devil kept persuading him to walk deeper and deeper into the forest. The deeper he walked the closer he was to evil. The devil showed Brown how many of the others he knew had already been on this trip including Faith, his father, his grandfather, the town deacon, and his old catechism teacher. Goodman Brown could not believe that these people he knew as good Christians would ever do such a bad thing. He did not realize that he was just as bad by doing the same thing when he met the devil. When he returned home he shut himself off from the world, because he saw i t as ! completely evil. I liked this story because it does a great job of portraying the theme of good and evil. Young Goodman Brown failed to realize that nobody is perfect because everyone sins. According to Angie Soler, â€Å"Hawthorne intended for the reader to become aware of the depravity accompanied by sin. He intended for the reader to view the reality of sin and the terror of the human hell that was revealed to Brown.† Brown judged and condemned others for sin without looking at his own sinfulness. I know that I sometimes look at other people and judge them. Hawthorne creatively showed me that this is not the right thing to do. By rejecting all of society and isolating him... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown – From Naivety to Maturity Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown is story illustrating the moral principle of good versus evil. Hawthorne uses symbolism and irony to relay his feelings towards man’s natural appetite for evil and the battle to avoid it in ones own heart. Following these literary elements takes the reader through a dream allegory filled with religious hypocrisy. Locating and examining the two most prominent symbols throughout the story allows the reader to experience how the attempted conversion of Young Goodman Brown results in a transformation from naivety to maturity. The first use of symbolism comes in the form of the names of Young Goodman Brown and his wife, Faith. Young in the name literally means that the main character is a young man. Hawthorne textually declares this when he writes’ â€Å"†¦young Goodman Brown†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg104). Goodman in the name symbolizes that he is a spiritual and good person. With Brown being such a common last name, it symbolizes that Goodman could be anyone or everyone. The name Faith has a dual symbolic meaning. It literally means religious faith and also represents Goodman Brown’s personal faith and religious convictions. This is apparent when Brown states, â€Å"My love and my Faith of all the nights in this year, this one night must I tarry from thee†(pg104). Here, Goodman Brown is referring to leaving his wife and his faith in God. Initially, Faith also represents youth as identified when Goodman Brown, â€Å"†¦put his head back, after crossing the threshold, to ex change a parting kiss with his young wife†(pg104). Though not understood until latter, it is this idea of a young good wife that reveals that Goodman’s initial state of naivety. Goodman is asked by his wife to stay home and not go on the journey. He thinks that she does not know about his journey to meet with the devil and thinks, â€Å"Methought as she spoke there... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Bewilderment In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† the main character, goodman Brown, undergoes a form of initiation. This initiation is brought forth by an elder dark figure. This figure, who actually is the devil, meets goodman Brown in the forest late in the evening. The devil leads goodman Brown deep into the forest where he encounters the biggest shock of his life. However, this trauma is too much for young goodman Brown, and it changes his life dramatically. After his experience in the woods, young goodman Brown is a changed man, and his new knowledge causes him to separate himself from the rest of the society. When goodman Brown separates himself from his society, he lives a life without friends because he fears being corrupted by everyone. Goodman Brown goes into the forest a young man who has been married for only three months to his love, Faith. Being young and unable to understand the complexity of human nature, goodman Brown saw people as either sinners or saints, there was no in between for him. In Puritan times, to go into the forest at night was unholy and sacrilegious. In order for goodman Brown to go into the forest, he must leave behind his wife, his faith, his religion, and his community; and for what, his curiosity. Once in the forest, the devil leads goodman Brown along a winding path in which goodman Brown begins to encounter his initiation. He comes across first goody Cloyse, who was the one that taught him his catechism. Goodman Brown wants to avoid any confrontation with goody Cloyse, so he cuts through the woods while the devil sticks to the path. It is when the devil approaches goody Cloyse that goodman Brown realizes that she is a follower of the devil, and good acquaintance. After this shock, goodman Brown refuses to proceed any further; however, the devil tries to convince him by saying, â€Å"‘You will think better of this, by-and-by’† (1239). Not wanting to press... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown – From Naivety to Maturity Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown is story illustrating the moral principle of good versus evil. Hawthorne uses symbolism and irony to relay his feelings towards man’s natural appetite for evil and the battle to avoid it in ones own heart. Following these literary elements takes the reader through a dream allegory filled with religious hypocrisy. Locating and examining the two most prominent symbols throughout the story allows the reader to experience how the attempted conversion of Young Goodman Brown results in a transformation from naivety to maturity. The first use of symbolism comes in the form of the names of Young Goodman Brown and his wife, Faith. Young in the name literally means that the main character is a young man. Hawthorne textually declares this when he writes’ â€Å"†¦young Goodman Brown†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg104). Goodman in the name symbolizes that he is a spiritual and good person. With Brown being such a common last name, it symbolizes that Goodman could be anyone or everyone. The name Faith has a dual symbolic meaning. It literally means religious faith and also represents Goodman Brown’s personal faith and religious convictions. This is apparent when Brown states, â€Å"My love and my Faith of all the nights in this year, this one night must I tarry from thee†(pg104). Here, Goodman Brown is referring to leaving his wife and his faith in God. Initially, Faith also represents youth as identified when Goodman Brown, â€Å"†¦put his head back, after crossing the threshold, to ex change a parting kiss with his young wife†(pg104). Though not understood until latter, it is this idea of a young good wife that reveals that Goodman’s initial state of naivety. Goodman is asked by his wife to stay home and not go on the journey. He thinks that she does not know about his journey to meet with the devil and thinks, â€Å"Methought as she spoke there... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Use Your Illusion In this time and age, people have become accustomed to disappointment and disillusionment from the figures that instill purpose and values into their lives. Be it Clinton’s parade of sex, lies and who knows maybe videotape to priests who enjoy the inappropriate company of young boys. People are jaded. This is not true of Nathaniel Hawthorn’s time. The people of that era had absolute faith and trust in their public figures. This sentiment increased exponentially when speaking of the clergy or church-related officials. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, Hawthorne looks at one man’s decent into the murky woods of doubt and illusion of uprightness. In the story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, Hawthorne shows a man who questions the backbone, which his community is assumedly built upon. As the story begins, Goodman Brown, a Puritan, is leaving his house around sunset. His wife, Faith, is trying to persuade him to depart at sunrise instead. His journey is to take him away for the night and he is to return at sunrise. He has a feeling of guilt for leaving her alone after being married to her for a mere three months, but he justifies his journey by swearing that after this night, he will â€Å"cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven†(164). Brown’s wife Faith symbolizes his real faith in God and his journey into the darkness of the Salem woods is a symbol of evil and question of faith. Goodman Brown is about to begin his struggle between the evil temptations of the devil, and the church abiding life he knows as reality. He will challenge his faith in himself and the community in which he resides. He must venture into the local forest where puritans believe the devil resides, refuse the temptations of the devil, and return to the village before sunrise. After going into the woods and testing his faith, Goodman Brown sees his community as it truly is instead of the illusion he once knew as reality. Although... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown The Irony and Symbolism of Young Goodman Brown In Young Goodman Brown, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are many different symbols and ironic happenings throughout the story. The author’s use of names and his idea of no one being perfect are portrayed extremely well. The main character, Young Goodman Brown, goes from one extreme to the other. In the beginning of the story, he believes everyone is good-natured and by the end, his views have changed drastically. It is unknown as to whether or not Brown is dreaming throughout the story or if it is actually reality. The symbolism and irony of this short story is very prevalent Hawthorne created the main characters name, Young Goodman Brown, to be symbolic as well as ironic. Young refers to his naivety. He is naà ¯ve because he goes to meet the Devil, not really knowing what he was getting himself into. The use of the name Goodman was ironic in the sense that he is not actually a good man because obviously he is intrigued by the Devil, since he goes to meet with the wicked one. Another name is Goody Cloyse, a Christian woman, who Brown notices while in the woods with the Devil. Brown departs with the Devil so she does not see him associating with the evil one. To Brown’s surprise, Goody Cloyse speaks to the Devil and he realizes she is well acquainted with him, meaning Goody Cloyse is not so good after all. Faith, Brown’s wife, is part of the irony of the story. She did not want her husband to leave, because she did not want the Devil to get his grasps on to her beloved husband. Brown thinks she does not want him to leave because she thinks he might commit the act of adultery while he is away. She is trying to protect him since she knows what it is like to be a part of the evilness of the community. This shows she has no faith in her husband concerning his faith in God. This is one of the reasons it is ironic her name is Faith. In the beginning of the story, the author describes ... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† Nathaniel Hawthorn was born into a Puritan family in 1804. Because of this many of his novels contained topics on ethical problems of sin, punishment, and atonement. His stories were all based in the seventeenth century when many things were happening to the puritan’s. Hawthorn’s story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, is a prime example of this, where the story’s setting is in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem witch trails. The reader sees many decisions being made by Brown that will reflect the rest of his life. These decisions can be seen through the theme, symbolism, and irony that takes place throughout the story. The theme of Nathaniel Hawthorn‘s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† is that everyone faces the conflicts of good and evil during their lives. The journey through this time of conflict becomes very difficult for Brown because of his inner desires pulling him in different directions. The first inner desire that he must face, is the desire to become a witch. The readers see this in the first of the story when Young Goodman Brown sets out on his own at night. The journey is one that can only be made at night for the Puritan’s did not go out at night because they labeled all who did as a witch. The story shows this main reason in the eight paragraph when it says, â€Å"With this excellent resolve for the future, Goodman Brown felt himself justified in making more haste on his present evil purpose.† (Page 317, line 25-26) Then the reader sees this decision change to good later in the story when he meets the devil in the woods and decides to turn back home before goi ng any further into the woods. As seen when Goodman Brown says, â€Å"Friend! Said the other, in exchanging his slow pace for a full stop, â€Å"having kept covenant by meeting thee here, it is my purpose now to return whence I came. I have scruples touching the matter thou wot’st of.†Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 318, line 25-27) This battles of ones sou... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown The short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne is set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials. The story was written and published in 1837 in Hawthorne’s â€Å"Twice Told Tales† shortly after Hawthorne’s graduation from Bowdoin College in Maine. Hawthorne’s main influences stem out of the New England Puritan culture. The Salem Witchcraft Trials and his puritan family background all shine through in his creation of this short story. One of his forefathers, Judge Hathorne actually presided over the Witchcraft Trials in 1692. (Note the change in spelling of the last name to help clear his name from the witchcraft incidences) According to my research, several of Hawthorne’s works deal directly with issues such as good vs. evil, alienation and isolation, and in Young Goodman Brown spiritual growth and pride. This story involves a young man’s journey into vast, unknown, uncharted back woods in Salem, Massachusetts. A place where it would be difficult to convince many people of that time to travel, but this is no vacation for Goodman Brown. It is a spiritual journey that he must embark upon to clear his spiritual conscience, and confirm his â€Å"Faith†. Hawthorne shows his belief that evil exists in everyone, and we all battle within to find that gracious faith in God. Goodman Brown even questions his companion on his journey through the woods by saying, â€Å"Can this be so! Howbeit, I have nothing to do with the governor and council; they have their own ways, and are no rule for a simple husband like me.† (p. 504) This quote begins to show Goodman Brown’s conversion from naivety to enlightenment into the evil ways of different men in his community. In the end, Hawthorne purely intends for his reader to take awareness into the evil ways of society, and to use that awareness to better deal with future situations. Isolation and complete rejection of all people who have... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Allegorical Symbolism in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† An allegory is a narrative in which tangible items or characters symbolize abstract concepts and hold a greater significance than what appears on the surface (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 2000). The short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a great example of an allegorical story as it is filled with many symbolic elements. This paper will examine some of the symbols found within this narrative and decipher their possible meanings. More specifically, it will look at the characters Young Goodman Brown and his wife Faith, the pink ribbons, and the forest and argue that although they are to be taken in a literal sense, their most important meaning lies in what they are meant to represent. The character Young Goodman Brown is a central symbol in this tale. At first, as Erisman states, the name Young Goodman Brown may come across as a standard name for a man of the seventeenth century, but, upon closer investigation, it soon becomes evident that it stands for much more (124). For instance, the name â€Å"Goodman† indicates that Brown is, in fact, a good person with the moral characteristics of a devout Christian (124). In addition, the title â€Å"Young† is used as an allusion to his virtue as it signifies that he is faultless and pure (124). However, as soon as Brown ventures into the forest and converses with the elderly traveller (a representation of the devil), he loses the †Young† and is only referred to as Goodman Brown. It is as if, at this point, he loses everything in him that is decent and good. What's more, Miller asserts, â€Å"Brown† is a very common last name (240) and is used, according to Levy, to suggest that Brown is a representative of â€Å"everyman† (146). In this sense, he seems to characterize anybody who is being persuaded to commit sin or to step outside of the norm (146). Therefore, Young Goodm... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown The Young in "Young Goodman Brown" When reading Hawthorn’s "Young Goodman Brown", one can note why his main character was ironically nicknamed young good man Brown. " The story is all three: a dream vision, a conventional allegory, and finally an inquiry into the problem of faith that undermines the assumptions upon which the allegory is based."(Bloom, 115) Although Hawthorn tries to confuse the reader with his dreamy allegories, Brown still emerges with one main flaw. Brown’s words, actions, and thoughts are remarkably similar to a child’s. The short story was written in Hawthorn’s early years, which leads one to wonder about his intent. Was he trying to relay a point he had just learned? Struggling to be come a man, Brown learns that there is a darkness in everyone. Every man battles with change from childhood to manhood. "Faith Brown, the wife of three months, is simply "Faith," and Brown is Everyman." (Bloom 117) Many cultures consider marriage as the last step to become an adult. Unfortunately, Brown has many more things to learn. "Initially, he is a naà ¯ve and immature young man who fails to understand the gravity of the step he has taken. Somewhere along his life, Brown has agreed to sell his soul to the devil. Nativity blinds Brown from seeing the severity of his actions. He does not realize that everyone has sin in their lives and there is no reason to sell his soul. Like most children Brown sees his related elders as perfect people. "Brown’s grandfather, as Daniel Hoffman suspects, has had illicit relations with Goody Cloyse. This is the same grandfather who sadistically enjoyed, as the devil tells Brown, having lashed a half-naked "Quaker woman so smartly through the streets." Brown’s father vented his sexual rage in the violent destruction of an Indian Village during King Philip’s War." (Frank, 223) From this passage it is easy to see that his relatives were far from sin. Brown’s amazement of the ... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Dreading the Dark of Humanity Nathaniel Hawthorne?s ?Young Goodman Brown,? widely regarded as one of his finest works, illustrates vividly how society and culture can influence one?s sense of reality (53 ). Goodman Brown is everyman of general intelligence striving to live and achieve a better life (60 ). Faith and righteousness were daily themes in Puritan society, however when Goodman Brown faces change in his perception, the once solid foundation is washed away. The journey into the wilderness enlightens Brown to societal truths amidst his struggle within himself and against fellow men. It is a dreaded walk on the dark side of the human heart (26 ). Consuming most of Hawthorne?s tale is a test of faith. For three months Brown has been married to a young woman symbolizing his faith (60 ). She even carries this name and lets her role in the story tie to that aspect of her husband?s life. Brown calls for his wife three times as he stands before the devil at the alter. Goodman then cries, ?My Faith is gone.?(9 ) As Brown is drawn into the deepest shadows of the forest and enters the devils sacred service, Hawthorne dramatizes his feeling that once commitment to evil has been made, its purpose must prevail by securing a shelf in Goodman?s soul. There is no struggle of power to oppose it and in this tale the power is so unequal that Faith, supposedly the Devil?s antagonist, is drawn into the camp of the enemy (11 ). She appears at the service as a baptismal candidate along with Goodman, a faint insinuation that Faith has her own covenant with the Devil. This also suggests that her complicity may be prior to and deeper t han Brown?s, as Faith could?ve played a role in the path of her husband (12 ). Her possible involvement then brings on a submerged irony in the manner in which Faith comes to meet Goodman when he returns to the village, as if she had not been present in the forest. She greets him in a m... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown In the story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brownâ€Å", there is a distinct presence of good and evil and how a man who represents the world handles them. The paths he takes, and the consequences for his actions are shown in detail as to how they relate to the world today. Also, people can use Goodman Brown=s story as a guide to keeping your faith in God, and if tested to have a strong enough shield to withstand evil and all other outside influences that will occur in life. Another strong emphasis that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† are symbols such as his wife, Faith, the ribbons, and the man he walks with. Also, all the people at the alter are used as symbols in this story by Hawthorne. Goodman Brown starts the story as a good Christian man with strong faith, but something is calling him to take a journey not knowing the reason why. This something is what will eventually test and may even conquer his faith in the end. I felt as if Goodman Brown is le aving his wife, his faith, and his home. His faith is being tested, which has never been tested before, because in the story his home and wife is the perfect place in which his faith was never tested nor questioned. I also feel that all the experiences he goes through on his journey symbolize every human being. I say this because his experiences match the fears of every human being that does not want their faith to be tested or has never had it tested. When Goodman Brown meets up with the man on which he took the journey with, the man symbolizes the devil. This can also be interpreted that evil comes in all different forms and you can be unaware of it just as Goodman Brown was. Also, in the story, Goodman Brown feels that the path he is taking is the wrong one and he mentions that numerous times to himself and to the man, but kept walking along the path of the wicked, as the man guided him, he kept throwing away his faith and his love of Christ with every step he took... Free Essays on Young Goodman Brown Young Goodman Brown Many fiction stories are based on truthful experiences or on the views of the author on a certain topic. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts during the early eighteen hundreds. Hawthorne also grew up with all the influences of the Puritan religion and the culture and education that comes along with it. All of these pieces of information are common in the settings and topics of most of Hawthorne’s works. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is a story about a man who was just married to his wife, Faith. Through his actions, you can see that it must have been very hard to live during this time because of the rigidity New England puritan society. It was hard for Goodman to be able to tell the difference between reality and dreams. Hawthorne shows us the great importance of our faith in God, our family and friends, and at length, ourselves. The plight of Goodman Brown indicates that without our à ¢â‚¬Å"faith† we are unable to live life to the fullest possible extent. Faith is our key to happiness. The moment he leaves for his encounter with the devil he leaves as a man of faith. When it’s all said and done, he journeys back from that walk through the woods as a changed man. â€Å"Much like the ‘journey’ in which Brown placed so much significance, the fact that further doubt was now placed upon new members of the church would cause later problems in Puritan society and Salem itself† (Trimmer 1). When Goodman comes back he can no longer look at his wife, or anyone else for that matter, with the same faith he had before. The devil’s influence eventually leads Goodman Brown to the Devil’s ceremony, which destroys his faith in his fellow man, disrupting the happiness he once had. In the beginning of his trip into the woods he reassures himself of his love for his wife and his faith in his religion but, throughout the journey, Goodman demon...