The use of Symbols in the Story “Young Goodman Brown”

Answer

Comment on the use of symbols in the story “Young Goodman Brown.” 

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s (1804-1864) “Young Goodman Brown” (1835) is a story rich with symbolism. It tells the tale of a young man’s journey through a dark forest. Here, he encounters temptations that challenge his faith in both his wife and the people around him. The symbols used in the story reveal deeper meanings related to innocence, sin, and the struggle between good and evil.

Faith as a Symbol of Innocence and Virtue: Faith, Goodman Brown’s wife, symbolizes his beloved partner and his spiritual faith. Her name directly represents the trust and purity Goodman Brown holds dear. In the beginning, he shows that he values his relationship with Faith when he says,

What, my sweet, pretty wife, dost thou doubt me already, and we but three months married?

Her pink ribbons also symbolize innocence, but this changes during the story. When Goodman Brown finds a pink ribbon in the forest, he exclaims,

My Faith is gone!

This symbolizes his loss of belief in his wife’s purity and faith. The once-innocent ribbons now represent his fall into darkness.

The Dark Forest as a Symbol of Temptation and Sin: The dark, gloomy forest is a key symbol in the story. It represents the unknown and the presence of evil. As Goodman Brown walks deeper into the forest, he leaves behind the safety of his village and enters a place of moral uncertainty. The forest is described as

….a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest.

As Goodman Brown ventures further, the forest becomes more twisted and threatening.

The Serpent-Staff as a Symbol of the Devil: The serpent-shaped staff carried by the mysterious traveller is one of the most direct symbols of evil. The writer says,

…his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake….. ….. it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent.

The staff immediately connects to the biblical symbol of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. The fact that it seems to move like a living creature reinforces its connection to temptation and the devil. When the traveller offers Goodman Brown the staff, it symbolizes the offer of sin. Goodman Brown’s eventual acceptance of the staff represents his surrender to the temptation that has been pulling at him.

The Forest Ceremony as a Symbol of Hidden Sin: The forest ceremony symbolizes hidden sin and hypocrisy in society. The rock, burning trees, the villagers, and the presence of respected figures like Deacon Gookin and Goody Cloyse reveal corruption beneath their pious appearances. The dark figure exposes the false righteousness of the community. It emphasizes how sin exists even in those who seem virtuous.

The Ending: The final symbol is Goodman Brown’s lonely and distrustful life after his experience in the forest. Whether the events were real or a dream, they left a lasting mark on him. The writer says about Goodman Brown,

A stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man did he become from the night of that fearful dream.

He cannot see goodness in anyone, including his wife. It symbolizes that lost faith leads life to despair and isolation. Even at his death, no hopeful verse is carved on his tombstone. It indicates that his loss of faith has permanently darkened his life.

To conclude, the symbols in the story—such as Faith’s pink ribbons, the dark forest, the serpent-staff, and the evil ceremony—reveal the story’s central themes of the conflict between good and evil. Hawthorne shows how easily faith can be shaken and destroyed through these symbols.