young goodman brown Young Goodman Brown ““Young Goodman Brown”” by Nathaniel Hawthorne contains much symbolism. The symbols take many formsfrom the setting to the characters. The symbols can be viewed asjust part of the story line, but apon further thought theyrepresent many different things. Faith, Brown’’s wife, is asymbol herself. When he says, ““My love and my Faith,”” he isusing his wife as a symbol and is really referring to his loveand faith in God. He goes on to say ““this one night I must tarryaway from thee.”” He means that he must part from his faith inGod to carry on with his journey. He also says to the devil, ““Faith kept me back awhile”” and is making reference to a higherbeing that is trying to keep him from making his journey bydelaying it. When Brown finds the pink ribbon that his wife waswearing lying in the forest he says, ““my Faith is gone”” and isreferring to himself as losing his faith in God. Also, GoodmanBrown’’s ““errand”” symbolizes the Puritan voyage where they wereto find the plan that God has set for them and let faith be theirguidance. As Goodman Brown continues his ““errand”” and thingbegin to go array he grows weak and falls to the ground. He"begins to doubt whether there really was a Heaven above him" andthis is a key point when Goodman Brown's faith begins to wain.Goodman Brown in panic declares that "With Heaven above, andFaith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!" This issimilar to a Puritan putting his faith in God and following““God’’ Plan.”” The forest that Goodman Brown ventures to initself is a symbol. In the Puritan days the townspeople werebarred from going into the forest because that is where evillurked and even says “...
