Nathaniel Hawthorne was concerned with Puritan society and in particular the role that his ancestors took in the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. In his short story, Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne explores the nature of evil and original sin in the setting of a Puritan community.
An Unexplained but Important Journey
The story opens with Young Goodman Brown leaving his house in Salem village. He pauses to kiss his wife, Faith, who begs him to stay home because she is troubled by dreams. Brown replies that his trip cannot be delayed and leaves. As he turns, his wife calls out “God bless you!” and he carries away an image of her with her pink ribbons watching him leave.
Goodman Brown feels bad about leaving Faith and tells himself that after tonight he will be a perfect husband and cling to her skirts all the way to heaven.
Meeting
Brown hurries into the forest. He is fearful and thinks that there is possibly a ‘devilish Indian behind every tree’ and perhaps the devil stands at his elbow. Soon he sees the figure of a man. Brown doesn’t recognize him as the devil because he is decently attired. The devil chastises Brown for being late and Brown’s ironic reply is that “Faith kept me back awhile.”
While the older man resembles Brown, he is has an air of worldliness and carries a staff that resembles a living snake. Goodman Brown is troubled and remarks that no other member of his family has taken such a journey and expresses his intention to return home. However, the old man convinces him to continue with him and passes the time by telling Brown how he had helped his forefathers commit crimes of genocide and persecution. He also shares with Brown the unsavory exploits of various highly ranked Puritans from Salem.
Overheard Conversations
Soon they see Goody Cloyse, a virtuous old lady from Brown’s village, walking ahead of them. Goodman Brown is ashamed and hides, while his companion changes his appearance to that of Brown’s father. Brown is amazed to hear the conversation between them. They converse about a witch’s recipe and discuss the meeting that will be held later that night. When they part, the Devil gives Goody Cloyse his walking stick so that she can travel on more quickly.
The Devil attempts to lure Brown foreword but Brown refuses, intending to return home. Brown soon hears riders approaching and hides himself. He recognizes the riders’ voices as those of his minister and Deacon Gookin. They are discussing the meeting and are excited about a young woman who will be joining them.
Vow of Defiance
Young Goodman Brown attempts to remain faithful to what he believes and cries out to the sky “With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil.” While he gazes upward, Brown notices a swiftly moving cloud crossing the sky. From within the cloud he hears voices of people he knows from Salem village. Then, to his dismay, he hears Faith’s voice. He cries out to her and all he hears in reply is her scream, which is drowned out by voices and laughter. As the cloud disappears, he sees a pink ribbon fall from the sky.
Brown cries out in dismay “My Faith is gone!” and feels that all good is futile and embraces the dark side of his nature. In anger and sorrow, he rushes towards his dark fate.
The Meeting
Despite his intentions, he hides in the shadows when he reaches the meeting. The congregants are gathered near a rough pulpit. The congregants include the most devout Puritans and the most devout sinners standing shoulder to shoulder. At first, Brown doesn’t see his wife and he wonders where Faith was and “and hope came into his heart.”
The dark congregation sings and then the leader of the meeting calls “Bring forth the converts!” Brown steps forward and as he moves forward he thinks he sees the shape of his dead father beckoning him and a woman who might be his mother warning him away. Soon he sees two old women who are on opposite ends of the spectrum of perceived goodness leading out a veiled female figure. One woman is Goody Cloyse who is known as a pious woman and the other is Martha Carrier who has a promise from the devil that she will be queen of hell.
When both Brown and the female stand before the leader he has them look at the congregation behind them and he tells of the misdeeds of the people they see standing before them. Then he has them look at each other and Brown discovers that he is standing next to Faith.
Brown rebels and just before they receive the baptism he cries to his wife to look to heaven and defy the Wicked One.
After the Meeting
When Goodman Brown cries out, the congregation vanishes and he finds himself alone in the forest. The next morning he walks slowly into town and sees the people from the night before piously going about their daily business. As he turns down his street he sees Faith standing at the window with pink ribbons on her bonnet.
He does not know if she obeyed his warnings. In fact, he doesn’t know if the events of that fateful night really occurred or if he just dreamed them. Whatever happened to him that night, he was a changed, unhappy man. He lived a long life and was followed to his grave by a long procession of people but there was no hopeful verse on his tomb because his life was without hope because he had lived his life surrounded by people who he believed were blasphemous.
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