Symbollism in Goodman Brown Essay -- Essays Papers

Symbollism in Goodman BrownThe symbol in Nathan Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown begins before the twaddle starts. The first sign of symbolization is in the title of the story. The word young is used in saying that Mr. Brown is young in his marriage and in his maturity. The next word Goodman was a term used in Hawthornes day as a man under a gentleman. This fits Mr. Brown because he is no genius special, only to his friends and family. Symbolism is strewn throughout the story in what seems like every word. In the beginning of the story, the phrase Faith, as the wife was so aptly named shows that the word Faith is not only his wifes name, rather it is also the Faith one must have to believe in religion. Mr. Browns faith is tested in this story to determine wether or not he is good or evil. Secondly, when he is leaving and his wife is begging that he stay. This is awful close the situation later in the story where his mothers ghost is trying to hold him back. Yet, Mr. Brow n tells his wife that My journey, as thoust call it, forth and back again must be done twixt now and sunrise. victorious a journey as she calls it like his father and his grandfather had when they were young. Once again, later in the story when his mother tells him to stay back, the ghost of his father is the one who tells him to go on. When Mr. Brown enters the forest he says that There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree (which will be discussed later) and W...