Symbolism in Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

In the story "Young Goodman Brown", Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to describe a young man who reluctantly leaves his world of innocence. This young man soon realizes that evil is indeed very widespread and existent in his world. Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" is allegorical, which means that the characters and events are to be understood as representing other things and symbolically expressing a deeper spiritual, moral, or political meaning. In Brown's world, evil is symbolically represented throughout the story.

The first two characters introduced in the story, Young Goodman Brown and his wife Faith, are both symbolic in their names. Brown's name symbolizes youth and good nature. Brown is a young man throughout the story, and his youth suggests that he has yet to be corrupted by the world and is still innocent. Hawthorne writes, "Faith, as the wife was aptly named" (eFictions, 465), suggests that Brown's wife symbolizes the goodness that is found in a young wife. Brown clings to a faith in good that is symbolized through his marriage to Faith.

Faith, Brown's wife, is symbolized as all that is good in the world. She symbolizes Heaven. Hawthorne writes, "Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons on her caps while she called to Goodman Brown" (eFictions, 465). The pink ribbons serve to symbolize a sign of heavenly faith. Later in the story, as Brown meets his companion in the woods, he states, "Faith kept me back awhile" (eFictions, 466).The name of Brown's wife is used to symbolize his personal faith in goodness. His conscious is keeping him from accepting the evil of his companion. Brown's looking back at Faith as he went on his way symbolizes his reservations about continuing on the path he is on. "So they parted; and the young man pursued his way until, being about to turn the corner by the meeting-house, he looked back and saw the head of Faith still peeping after him with a melancholy air, in spite of her pink ribbons" (eFictions, 465).

As Brown continues his journey into the forest, it is said, "He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind" (eFictions, 465). This statement symbolizes his journey into evil. The narrowness of the path can be seen as Brown being surrounded by evil. The winding path he must take symbolizes how far he must venture from the innocence of his world to see the evil and the forest closing behind him suggests he may never return to his innocence.

The character Brown meets in the forest is described as, "one who knew the world, and who would not have felt abashed at the governor's dinner table or in King William's court" (eFictions, 465). This second traveler, Brown's companion, can be seen as the devil.

The devil's walking staff is described as having, "the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent" (eFictions, 466). This staff, which has a snake-like appearance, suggests that the character of Brown's companion is a sly, treacherous person and one that should not be trusted. The staff can be seen as preying on Brown. The devil offers Brown his staff but Brown rejects. This rejection symbolizes Brown's reluctance to succumb to the evil in the world.

Brown sees his father's as symbols, "of honest men and good Christians since the days of the martyrs" (eFictions, 466), but the devil tells Brown that he has been, "well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans" (eFictions, 466). Brown's father's become symbols of people that embody the evil that surrounds Brown. The devil tells Brown, "I have a very general acquaintance here in New England. The deacons of many a church have drunk the communion wince with me; the selectmen of divers towns make me their chairman; and a majority of the Great and General Court are firm supporters of my interest, The governor and I, too----But these are state secrets" (eFictions, 467). Goody Cloyse is also coming to the meeting. When the devil approaches her, she screams, "The devil!"(eFictions, 467) when touched by the devil's staff, suggesting that she is under the devil's control and possesses evil. Brown learns that the minister and Deacon Gookin are also heading to the meeting with the devil. Brown learns that they too represent the evil that is present in his world.

Brown soon accepts the newly-made staff from the devil. He hurries along the same evil path of his colleagues. Brown's accepting of the staff, which symbolizes a tool of evil, represents him beginning to accept the evil in his world.

As Brown continues down his path something, "fluttered lightly down through the air and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon" (eFictions, 470). The pink ribbon falling from the sky represents Brown's loss of faith. Brown cries, "My Faith is gone!" (eFictions, 470). The play on the name Faith suggests that Brown's wife Faith is gone, but also his faith.

The symbolism throughout "Young Goodman Brown" is mainly spiritual in nature. The best indication of this is shown as Brown loses his faith and follows the devil on the evil path. The symbolism throughout the story suggests that it takes place during the time known as the "Salem Witch Trials". During this time many innocent people were burned alive because they were accused of being witches. Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the story to show the evil that is in the town of Salem during this period in history.