Young Goodman Brown Theme Essay - 785 Words

Ernest Hemingway once said, â€Å"All things truly wicked start from innocence,† In the short story, Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows numerous ways a young adult loses his innocence and religious upbringing simply by the allowing the influence of others to take over the truths that have been deeply rooted throughout his childhood. The main character, Young Goodman Brown, discovers that his wife, his own self and his acquaintances are, not who he thought they were on the inside. There are many themes these characters represent throughout the story such as symbolism, innocence, and good versus evil. First, representing symbolism is Young Goodman’s wife, Faith. Her name, Faith, is a symbol within itself. Hawthorne†¦show more content†¦His innocence is proven when he marries Faith believing that she, herself, will stay faithful to their religious beliefs and help him become a better christian. Everyone has a conscience and has the choice to follow it or go the other way. This is the same with Young Goodman Brown. By leaving his wife and going to the ceremony in the forest, he had now gone against his conscience. He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind (Hawthorne, 8). The course he has chosen to take is not the right one. This leads him even farther from the innocence of his younger days. He also recognizes that innocence can be taken quickly by making the wrong choice and putting faith in the wrong people. Sometimes the loss of innocence is a path that can never be returned. The final character to discuss and his role in the good versus evil theme is the Old Man. â€Å"I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman so smartly through the streets of Salem; and it was I that brought your father a pitch-pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to an Indian village, in King Phillip’s War. They were my good friends, both; and many a pleasant walk have we had along this path, and returned merrily after midnight. I would fain be friends with you for their sake.† (Hawthorne, 18) Young uses his childlike faith to trust inShow MoreRelated The Theme of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay2278 Words   |  10 PagesThe Theme of Young Goodman Brown      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay intends to develop an interpretation of the theme of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†.    To come by a clear notion of the theme of   â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† is no easy task, thanks to the confusing style of the author. As A.N. 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