Psychomachia in Young Goodman Brown Essay

When I think of psychomachia, I think of the good and bad that people face each day when they make decisions. I also think of the easy versus hard decisions that we make in our life each day. I see psychomachia in Young Goodman Brown. How he is living his life, facing the decision of continuing down the path or turning back.

Young Goodman Brown believes he lives a pious life. Young Goodman Brown expects evil to stand out as something he can see right away and know its evil. Young Goodman Brown is about to learn an adult lesson. He worries or wonders if he is doing the right thing by going into the wilderness at night. He thinks to himself that it is a bad idea but continues. His comments to himself There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree. What if the Devil himself should be at my elbow! (155). The devil is at his elbow he just does not know it.

Young Goodman Brown meets the old man. The old man does not appear any different from the Goodmen Brown knows from the village. The men start their journey. Young Goodman Brown waivers on whether he should continue deeper into the wilderness at this time of night. He seems to think that night has more bearing on his actions than if it was high noon and bright and sunny. He talks to the old man of how his ancestors did not meet like this late at night, why does he need to? The old man enlightens the Young Goodman Brown that he knew both his grandfather and father and both had been in the wilderness late in the nights. I have been well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans (156). The old man goes on to discuss how he helped the grandfather and father with their pious deeds. The Young Goodman does not believe that he would not be aware of such a liaison but the old man goes on to state, I have very general acquaintance here in England. The deacons of many a church have drunk communion wine with methe selectmen the Great and General Court are firm supports of my interest. The governor and I, tooBut these are state secrets. (156)

The Young Goodman Brown believes he is above all of those people. Howbeit, I have nothing to do with governor and council; they have their own ways, and are no rule or the simple husbandman like me. (156) The old man laughs at Young Goodman Browns reasoning. Young Goodman Brown then uses his wife Faith as his reasoning as to why he will not follow deeper into the woods. The old man points out the people in front of them. Goody Cloyse, the woman who taught Young Goodman Brown his catechism as a boy is one of the people in front of them. Young Brown is astonished that she is there in the deep dark wilderness. The old man implies that if Goody Cloyse can fall then so can Faith.

Young Goodman Brown refuses to go further into the wilderness. Then the Deacon and the Reverend both pass by, how can two upstanding men fall? He resolves to hold to his faith. With heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil! (159). He then sees the black cloud. The black cloud is the entire town perhaps the world, the past and present. In the cloud, he recognizes the pious, the criminal, the fallen woman, the upstanding dames and more all in the same mass. However, the mass waivers and blends in and out. The people are solid and then transparent, Young Goodman Brown does not understand this. His beliefs are black or white; you are either pious or evil. The wavering of the mass confuses him. He then hears Faiths voice in the mass. Why does he hear her? Is not she pure of heart and pious in her beliefs? Does she waiver as the cloud does? Does she just follow the town, world? He hurries faster to the congregating place.

Bring forth the converts! (161) Brown steps forward and join his brotherhood. Welcome, my children to the communion of your race. Ye have found thus young your nature and your destiny. My children, look behind you! (161). Brown turns to see the welcoming faces of all he knows. There are all whom ye have reverenced from youth. Ye deemed them holier than yourselves (161). Young Goodman Brown learns in that moment that all is neither black nor white.

The world is gray. Some days the world will be only a ting of gray and the good of the day will win out. The day a much loved and wanted child is born the day will be almost pure white and good prevails. The day a child is thrown down a flight of stairs by the parent that is supposed to love and protect them is the black day and evil had prevailed that day. There are more white days than dark gray days or black days. You have to live your life remembering the white days to move through our world and not move into the void.

By the end of the story the Young Goodman Brown is just Goodman Brown. He has lost his nativity and has moved into the void. He pulls away from his wife he loves and the ending of the story implies that he was not close with his children or grandchildren. He missed the light gray and white days of his life; he could not see past the darker days.