Conflicts of Young Goodman Brown

Conflicts of Young Goodman Brown

The story "Young Goodman Brown" written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is set in Salem, Massachusetts. The story is about a young Puritan man who is torn between his beliefs of good and evil. He is very curious about what evil truly is. He is set to journey into the woods at sunset. Brown is naïve because he expects to return after a night of flirting with evil and come home to his beautiful wife Faith, unchanged and unharmed from his experience with the Devil. In "Young Goodman Brown's 'Heart of Darkness" Paul J. Hurley says "Goodman Brown's alliance with evil is suggested by contrasting images between good and evil. These images of shadow, dark, and gloom become more frequent and persuasive as the story continues" (410). Brown has several conflicts that he has to confront during his adventure. Some of the conflicts are with his wife, town's people, and the devil.

The first conflict is with Faith as he sets off to leave the house. Faith says, "Pray thee, put off your journey until sunrise, and sleep in your own bed to-night" (420). She knows that it is not good for him to go out tonight. Sunset symbolizes darkness and darkness symbolizes evil throughout the world civilized or uncivilized. Mr. Brown chooses to leave anyway and go ahead with his journey. In Twayne's United States Authors Series Terence Martin says, "His journey into the forest can be defined as a kind of indeterminate allegory, representing man's irrational drive to leave faith, home, and security temporarily behind, for whatever reason, and take a chance with one (more?) adventure onto the wilder shores of experience". Later on in the story Mr. Brown hears Faith's voice as he lifts his hands to pray (425). He says "My Faith is gone! ... There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil! for to thee is this world given" (425). Mr. Brown thinks that Faith has fallen away from God and into the grasp of the devil. Brown's spirit rises up and his demeanor changes from agony to outrage and is laughing and wanting to take on all the evil that is amongst him. In My Faith Is Gone! "Young Goodman Brown" and Puritan Conversation, Jane Donahue Eberwein says, "Recognizing that [Goodman] has been deceived in his dependence on Faith, he abandons all hope of salvation and rushes demonically to the diabolical communion ritual" (26). Goodman reaches the ritual without any hope at all until he sees his wife and he regains some of his Faith again for a moment.

Brown has conflict with his faith when he comes across respected people in the woods that in his opinion should not be there at this time of night and hears some of their conversations. The first person he notices is Goody Cloyse, who taught him his catechism as a young child. Brown hides as the devil approaches her and touches her with his staff. She yells, "The devil" and then says, "Ah, forsooth, and is it your worship, indeed?" (423). Brown knows by their conversation that they are friends and know each other. At this point Brown has enough and decides that he is not going any further because he cannot stand losing his wife. So he sits down on a stump and informs the devil he is not going on. The devil doesn't argue with him and says, "You will think better of this, by-and-by, ... sit here and rest yourself awhile; and when you feel like moving again, there is my staff to help you along" (423). Brown is very proud of himself for standing up to the devil; he has only a moment of happiness, when he hears horses approaching. There is nothing to prepare him for who he is about to see, the minister and Deacon Gookin. "Of the two, reverend Sir," said the voice like the deacon's, "I had rather miss an ordination-dinner than to-night's meeting. They tell me that some of our community are to be here from Falmouth and beyond and others from Connecticut... besides the Indian powows ... there is a goodly young woman to be taken communion" (424). Brown's faith is shaken again for a moment but he looks up and sees a blue arch and the stars shining in it and his faith is restored once again (424). He says, "With Heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!" (424). These conflicts start putting dents in Goodman Brown's faith and weigh heavily on his heart and soul.

The main conflict of this story is with the devil himself; throughout the whole story he toys with Brown's emotions and knows what buttons to push to keep him going in the wrong direction. The devil tells him that he doesn't just know