Literary Analysis Essay on Young Goodman Brown

Introduction

Nathaniel Hawthorn in his short story Young Goodman Brown uses several literary devices like symbolism, imagery, and Allegory. The author has used these literary elements to make his story interesting to the reader. The devices mentioned above add meaning to the narrative and readers can get the message more poignantly as compared to their absence. The reader can interpret various scenes and comprehend the author's ideas with greater depth. The primary purpose of this essay is to outline and explain the various literary devices used in the short story Young Goodman Brown as they relate to the central theme of the narrative.

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Symbolism: Faith, the Forest, and the Pink Ribbon

The three primary elements that have been symbolized in the narrative are faith, the forest through which the protagonist takes his journey, and the staff. Goodman is married to a woman named faith, and they have been together for only three months. Faith is a symbol of piety and innocence, and thus Goodman's wife is a representation of the noble and virtuous things in the protagonist's life. At first, Goodman's journey is described is seen and described as a step due to his evil purpose. However, later in the narrative, it is discovered that he left that night to test his faith in the Puritan belief system (Hawthorne, 2012). Although Goodman is aware of the danger he might encounter while walking through the woods, he views that scary moment as a one-time affair. He says that after that one night he will cling to his wife and follow her to heaven. Faith is a principle that gives Goodman a sense of belonging, and he views his wife's name as a manifestation of his spiritual faith. The protagonist at one time refers to his wife as his love and faith.

The woods in the narrative are also symbolic. The author describes the woods as a gloomy forest, and Goodman is afraid of what might be behind the trees. The road is scary and dark, and the protagonist knows that there is no one to protect him. The woods symbolize Goodman's character outside his normal boundaries of right and wrong. The forest could also be a representation of his fears and suspicions since he has some dark feelings that he fails to acknowledge. Despite an evil atmosphere in the woods, Goodman proceeds and goes deeper into the darkness while being guided by Satan. The protagonist's encounter with the devil symbolizes the fact that if a man allows his sins to take him to a certain point, it is not easy to get rid of the devil.

The pink ribbon depicted in the narrative is another instance of symbolism. The author makes several references referring to Goodman's wife as Faith with the pink ribbons. As the story comes to an end, Satan finally breaks Goodman who at that point discovers that everything is a fallacy (Hawthorne, 2012). The protagonist makes one final attempt to hold onto his faith, and at that point, the pink ribbon falls from the sky but falls on a tree branch. The falling of the pink ribbon symbolizes the end of Goodman's fight, and he is left as a broken and faithless person.

Imagery: Sunset and the Dark Road

Imagery is another literary device that has been used in the narrative. For instance, images of a sunset appear throughout the story, and they amplify the primary theme of the narration. In the beginning, the author explains that Goodman is about to leave his wife Faith during sunset. The images of an evening and the approach of night represent the fear of the unknown. Goodman must pass through the dark and scary woods to reach the light. As the story continues, the author depicts the image of a dark road with gloomy trees to make the fear of the unknown more intense. When people think about dark and lonely places, it is a sign of evil. The old man described to be dressed in grave attire and with staff also symbolizes evil. The author compares the old man's staff to a big snake. Snakes are perceived to be agents of evil. Throughout his journey, Goodman discovers aware of the world's imperfections, and he concludes that there are good people who sometimes do bad things (Hawthorne, 2012). For instance, people who the protagonist perceives to be perfect and law-abiding like the government are exposed as flawed, and who are liars and cheats. The images used to describe the people mentioned above are stolen brooms and promises of becoming the queen of hell.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Nathaniel Hawthorn uses literary devices like imagery and symbolism to make the reader interpret various scenes and comprehend the author's ideas with greater depth. Some of the elements symbolized include faith, the forest, and Satan. The wood is described as dark with gloomy trees thus signifying evil. The protagonist's faith is symbolized using his wife's name "Faith." Some of the imageries depicted in the short story include the old man's staff and the sunset. The sunset represents the fear of the unknown, and the author compares the old man's staff to a big snake, creatures perceived to be evil.

References

Hawthorne, N. (2012). Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories. North Chelmsford, MA: Courier Corporation.