Questioning the faith within
Goodman Brown, a young man from Salem village who attended church regularly with Faith his wife is torn between the good and evil of his own conscious. Faith holds the key to heaven while Goodman has the key to his own personal hell. Goody Cloyse taught Goodman Brown catechism as a young boy, and continued to teach the word of god. The Minister of the church where Goodman attended as well as the Deacon Gookin was all people who held an important part of whom Goodman Brown was before he met the old Traveler of the forest. Goodman Browns evil conscious will twist and distort his belief in his self, his friends of the community, and his love of his pure wife Faith.
Goodman Brown, a simple religious man whom recently married Faith. However, Goodman is questioning his faith in the lord He looked up to the sky doubting whether there really was a heaven above him (Hawthorne, Page 628). Nevertheless, giving into curiosity he arranged a trip to meet the devil (Hawthorne, Page 626). Goodman Browns wife, Faith begs him to stay with her and not to go into the forest. Faith fear Goodman will come back an unholy man. As Goodman enters the forest, he anticipates the fear and evil presence, at my very elbow (Hawthorne, Page 624). Goodman choose the forest to get answers of his beliefs, and where else would the devil dwelled but in a dark, dreary place such as the forest.
Goodman Browns adventure shows familiar faces, except one, the old traveling man. Goodman pushes further into the forest, and came upon an elderly traveler who seems to be expecting him, and oddly bearing a considerable resemblance to me (Hawthorne, Page 625). The older gentleman seems simple, yet worldly. The older man carried a serpent staff. The old man starts to walk beside Goodman trying to be a friend, and listen to Goodman say how proud he is that his Father and Grandfather never had to walk this path. As Goodman mentions his family, the elderly man starts to demoralize Goodmans family reputation as those of good Christian beliefs. The traveler told Goodman that he not only knew his father but his Grandfather as well. The old traveler continued to speak of the towns people, the Minister, the Deacon Gookin, and how evil was the ruler of the state. Nevertheless, Goodman is starting to second guess his motives of soul searching. His conscious told him to rest and heed the warnings of Faith yet it also gave him a serpent staff to get there faster if he chose the wicked path. Hawthorne is suggesting that everyone has a choice and the evil is within all of our own conscious.
The ungodliness of his family and the towns people was revealed to him by the traveler to further weaken his Christian beliefs. Goodman Brown was distorted by his unfaithfulness as Goody Cloyse approached on the path. Goody Cloyse was seen by Goodman as a pure soul who taught the word of god, and he feared the questions she would ask of him. Goodman ran off the path to hide from his embarrassment and disloyalty to god, as he also hid upon the approach of the Deacon Gookin and the Minister. All these people that came along on the path, was thought to be holy of holy by Mr. Brown; hence, only shown to further weaken his faith even that much more. Hawthorne is suggesting, society tends to live with good and evil in there hearts, but its still a choice that one makes solely themselves regardless of how nave. Although society often follows in the path of others There is no good on earth and sin is but a name (Hawthorne, Page 626), and with that Goodman Brown lost his innocents crossing more to the dark side.
Goodman Browns new, young wife with the pink ribbon in her hair seems to be the most pure-hearted Christian; Faith. Faith scared for her husband to lose his way on the journey, and tries to convince her husband to stay with her. With her pleads that fall on deaf ears, she wanted him to forget the soul searching altogether that she felt it necessary to lie of different fears. Goodman Brown tells the traveler Faith kept me back awhile (Hawthorne, Page 625) for his excuse of a late arrival. Hawthorne is showing that Faith is the angel to Goodmans demons. It was not until the old devil presents Faith that Goodman really loses all hope in humanity and his love for God. Faiths pink ribbon falls to the ground in the forest which was the last straw for Goodman who said my Faith is gone (Hawthorne, Page 628). Goodman has put so much belief in his wifes purity and godliness when seen she has circums to the devil, it pushed the last bit of belief of god out of his soul. The old devil has won with one last twist when his reveals Faith at the ceremony.
In the End, Goodman Brown sees Goody Cloyse spreading the word of god, hears the Minister lecturing of sin; thus, confusing Goodmans new found belief and pushing him further to the pits of hell. As he was approaching his home and met by his wife at the door wearing her pink ribbon. Goodman Brown went on to have a full life with his wife and children but with the lack of true religion he lost that day in the forest. This symbolizing that God doesnt give up on anyone when they ignore or lose faith, but he longer hears Gods word or see the innocents of people. This was Goodman Browns curse of having lost all faith in himself and humanity and transformed into a paranoid man. The old traveler condemned Mr. Brown to a life of anxiety, fear, gloom in which he could never recover from even with Faith right next to him.
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