Young Goodman Brown : Characters

Young Goodman Brown is a notable literary work by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Young Goodman Brown.

    

        

        
Characters
       
Major Characters

Young Goodman Brown (Protagonist): The central character of the story. A young Puritan from Salem Village, newly married. Though innocent and faithful at first, his encounter with the devil in the forest shatters his faith. He spends the rest of his life in doubt and despair. Symbol of the fall from innocence to skepticism.
Faith (Wife): Goodman Brown’s newlywed wife. Her very name, “Faith,” symbolizes both spiritual belief and the wife herself. In the story she is innocent, wearing white with pink ribbons. When Brown loses her, he symbolically loses his faith. She represents womanhood and spiritual trust.
The Devil: A mysterious old man who meets Brown in the forest. He carries a serpent-shaped staff. He lures the people of society into his dark rituals. Symbol of the darker side of human nature and the power of evil.

Minor Characters

Goody Cloyse: Brown’s childhood catechism teacher. Though outwardly pious, she secretly participates in the devil’s ceremony. Symbol of religious hypocrisy.


The Minister: The head clergyman of Salem Village, the most respected religious figure. Brown had believed him to be truly righteous. But his presence at the devil’s gathering reveals his duplicity.


Deacon Gookin: A senior church official of Salem. He is seen going with the minister to the devil’s ceremony. His presence highlights the hypocrisy of high-ranking religious leaders.


Martha Carrier: A real historical figure from the Salem Witch Trials, executed on charges of witchcraft. In the story, she is portrayed as a wicked old woman who had received the devil’s promise to be “Queen of Hell.” Along with Goody Cloyse, she drags the veiled Faith toward the devil’s altar. A mix of history and fiction, she symbolizes Puritan hypocrisy and superstition.


Villagers: The common people of Salem Village, who also join the devil’s assembly. This shows that while Puritan society looked pious on the outside, it was full of corruption and hypocrisy within.

Couple and Relationship

Young Goodman Brown and Faith: The central relationship in the story. Brown believed that Faith would keep him on the path of light and truth, but in the end he loses both her and his trust. Their broken bond represents the fragility of love and faith.

Community and Society

Salem Village: Symbol of Puritan society—outwardly devoted to religion, but inwardly full of hypocrisy and evil.
The Forest: Not a character, but a symbolic place. It represents the inner conflict of man, the darkness of sin, and the temptations of evil.