“Young Goodman Brown” Review

​Nathaniel Hawthorne dreamed up quite a story in Young Goodman Brown. The story, it seems, is written in dated language even for the author’s time. The aim was probably to evoke religious feeling by using very biblical language, that of King James. The story begins as if it would contain no elements of the supernatural. But it is an allegory. The main hero is a “good man,” and his wife - his “faith.” Can a good man lose his faith? He sure can, as all those saints-turned-devil-worshippers can attest. Can a man lose the dearest that he has - his love and his trust in God? Well, the moral of the story seems to be that if a man consciously considers signing a pact with a devil and goes past half-way to accomplish the deal, he is lost. Goodman Brown only sees his wife Faith in the forest after encountering numerous signs that he should turn back before it is too late. But about half-way through it becomes too late. Even though he never signs the deal or bows to the devil, he has gone too far, and there is no salvation for him, at least in his own conscience. He must perish spiritually, emotionally, and physically.