Young Goodman Brown : Quotations

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.

    

        

        
Quotations
       
Quotes

“Prithee put off your journey until sunrise.” – (Faith, Young Goodman Brown, Opening Scene)

Explanation: Faith here is trying to stop her husband. She is afraid and wants Brown to stay safe at home. This is a symbol of love, warning, and care.

“This one night must I tarry away from thee.” – (Goodman Brown, Young Goodman Brown, Opening Scene)

Explanation: Goodman Brown ignores his wife and declares that he will go to the forest for one night. This is a symbol of curiosity, weakness, and disobedience.

“Pray tarry with me this night, dear husband.” – (Faith, Young Goodman Brown, Opening Scene)

Explanation: Faith is afraid of loneliness without her husband. Trembling with fear, she pleads with him to stay. This is a symbol of her fear, dependence, and innocence.

“My Faith is gone!” – (Goodman Brown, Young Goodman Brown, Forest Scene)

Explanation: Here Brown, seeing his wife Faith’s symbolic ribbon lost, thinks that he has lost both his wife and his spiritual faith. This is a symbol of despair and broken belief. At this moment, Brown collapses in love, trust, and religion. It marks the beginning of his final downfall.

“Bore the likeness of a great black snake.” – (Narrator about the Staff, Young Goodman Brown, Forest Scene)

Explanation: Here Hawthorne describes the devil’s staff as resembling a serpent. This is a symbol of the serpent in the Biblical Garden of Eden, which represents temptation and deception. The staff is not just wood; it is a symbol of the devil’s power and temptation. It expresses human weakness.

“Dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest.” – (Narrator, Young Goodman Brown, Forest Scene)

Explanation: This line describes the atmosphere of the forest. The forest here is not only nature, but also a symbol of man’s inner darkness, doubt, and sin. The path is dark and frightening. It is also a symbol of Brown’s fears and evil desires.

“That old woman taught me my catechism!” – (Goodman Brown, Young Goodman Brown, Forest Scene)

Explanation: Brown is shocked when he sees his childhood religious teacher, Goody Cloyse, at the devil’s meeting. This is a symbol of betrayal and Puritan hypocrisy. Goody Cloyse looks pious on the outside but is sinful inside. This breaks Brown’s faith.
“Come, devil! For to thee is this world given.” – (Goodman Brown, Young Goodman Brown, Forest Scene)
Explanation: Here Brown, drowning in despair, calls upon the devil. He thinks there is no goodness left in the world. This is a symbol of his surrender and hopelessness.

“Faith! Faith! Look up to heaven, and resist the wicked one.” – (Goodman Brown, Young Goodman Brown, Devil’s Meeting Scene)

Explanation: Here Brown, at the last moment, urges his wife to look up to heaven and resist the devil. This is a symbol of hope, faith, and redemption. Although Brown’s heart is weak, he clings to faith in his final attempt. But later, his doubts ultimately destroy him.

“E’en go thy ways, Goodman Brown.” – (The Devil, Young Goodman Brown, Forest Scene)

Explanation: The devil calmly tells Brown to move forward. This sentence is a symbol of temptation, which stirs human curiosity. The devil’s calm voice creates doubt in Brown’s mind. Even though he has a chance to return, he goes ahead. This is a symbol of being drawn onto the path of sin.

“With heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!” – (Goodman Brown, Young Goodman Brown, Forest Scene)

Explanation: Brown is encouraging himself. He says that God’s power and his wife’s faith will protect him from the devil. This is a symbol of hope and firmness. These words show his determination. But later, doubt makes him weak. This is also a symbol of man’s inner conflict and fragile faith.
“Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness.” – (The Devil, Young Goodman Brown, Devil’s Sermon)
Explanation: In the devil’s sermon it is said that sin is man’s nature. This is Hawthorne’s main theme, the hidden evil within man. This line shows that even under the cover of religion, man is actually prone to sin. It reveals the dark truth of human nature.

“Welcome, my children … to the communion of your race.” – (The Devil, Young Goodman Brown, Devil’s Meeting Scene)

Explanation: The devil welcomes everyone, calling both saints and sinners together. This shows that all people are connected to sin in some way. Here the difference between good and evil disappears. The devil unites every member of society. This symbolically expresses universal sin and the dark truth of human nature.