Free YGB Essays: Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown :: Young Goodman Brown YGB

Young Goodman brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story about revealing neat evil and the loss of one mans organized religion. Nathaniel Hawthorne left Young Goodman Brown up for many interpretations. After reading the story a couple of times, one affair became clear to me. What I absorbed from this story was that evil exists in everyone, does not matter how good we may think we are. Things arent always what they seem. I say this because the plenty who attended the devils meetings, were the ones who attended church with him. The people whom he though were holy and Christian. These people were not holy at all. They were worshipping, praying, and obeying the devil. As Goodman Brown started his journey into the forest, he met an sometime(a)er man. The old man, was about fifty years old, apparently in the same rank of life as Goodman Brown, and bearing a considerable semblance to him, though perhaps more in expression than features (DiYanni, 273). In Browns ignorance, he does not reali ze that the one he is with is in fact the devil. This is shown when Brown asks a question in fear before meeting the old man, There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree, say Goodman Brown to himself and he glanced fearfully behind him, as he added, What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow (DiYanni, 273). This to me is ironic because then, His head being morose back, he passed a crook of the road, and looking forward again, beheld the figure of a man, in grave and decent attire, seated at the foot of an old tree. He arose at Goodman Browns approach, and walked onward, side by side with him(DiYassi, 273). Here Goodman Brown does not realize that the devil is, in fact, walking side by side with him(DiYassi,273). Goodman Brown recognized a very pious and exemplary dame, who had taught him his catechism in youth, and was still his moral and spiritual advisor (DiYassi, 275). This dames name was Goody Cloyse. When Brown sees that Goody Cloyse recognizes the old man and cries out, the devil (DiYassi, 275), he cant believe it. He now sees her as a wretched old woman (DiYassi, 276). Brown is feeling his loss of faith and tries to overcome this by saying, What if a wretched old woman does choose to go to the devil, when I though she was going to heaven Is that any reason to leave of absence my dear Faith behind, and go after her?