American Literature

Literary analysis of Goodman Brown specifically reflecting on the ambiguities and ambivalence of the story.

The story that is being discussed as part of this research paper is Nathaniel Hawthornes Little Goodman Brown.  This story is apparently a parable, bursting as it is filled with symbolism of the obscurity within the hearts of common people.  The predominant message that Hawthorne intends to deliver through the story is about the powerlessness of the human race, and in order to convey the same, the author has used numerous literary techniques in an entertaining manner to the readers.

The author creates the character of Goodman Brown as an individual who is inundated by his own conscious and as someone who supposed himself having been committed a grave sin by meeting with the devil in the forest and participating in meeting of witches and interestingly all of these taking  place in his dreams. This incidence and narration spoke of an epoch where people were surmounted with religious remorse and fallacy. As a result of the above mentioned dream of Brown, he assumed everyone in the town of being associates of the devil, and above all his fallacy and questioning of his own self trounced his ability to have faith or believe in anyone else. He finally dies as a bitter, dejected and depressed man (Schlismann).

The story seem to be predominantly dealing with supernatural forces as the antagonist of the story is a devil and hence makes the story to be far from naturalist ideas.  The generic names in Hawthornes tale and the biblically allusive nature of the temptations Goodman are subjected to seem sufficient proof of Hawthornes allegorical intent (Paulits).

Parables or metaphors are usually defined in stories largely because of the transparent presence of symbolism in the entire story and stories that are naturally weaved and presented seemingly lack in symbolism comparatively.  In Goodman Brown, Hawthorne tries to demonstrate that mans limitation comes from the inner fight with evil.  Furthermore Hawthornes adversary character gives up the fight when the protagonist Brown deserts his ambivalent indecisiveness and at last sets himself determinedly on a path (Hawthorne).

Goodman Brown, as already stated, was an individual inundated by his self conscious and was someone who thought himself to have committed serious sin by meeting the devil and taking part in a meeting of witches in his imaginings. This dream of the protagonist spoke of an epoch where people were trouncing with religious remorse and false notions.

Goodman Brown may supposedly be Hawthornes expression of his own efforts with his confidence in humanity and his own self. The author was a guilt ridden person and I believe that he had many instances when his faith was tested. Brown is Hawthorne to a lesser extent. Goodman Brown starts out as a good, happy, decent man he seems very content. All of this changes when he decides against the advice of his wife faith that he should go out on a journey into the woods to meet with the devil. It is very obvious that path in the woods was his sustained decent into symbolic as well as truthful darkness. As he continues walking down the woods he arrives at the peak of his journey when he arrives at the place where the witches were having a meeting. At this point, Brown is believed to have lost his faith in spite of his last effort to save his spouse. He never realizes if he was successful in saving her. This uncertainty is the main aspect which led to his destruction.

The story Goodman Brown is aimed at conveying about the importance of belief in ones self.  This fact is emphasized by the author by yet another aspect in the story  to name the wife of the protagonist Browns wife as Faith.  All of the references made by Brown to his wife Faith and his efforts to draw might from her place in his life depict the authors pressure on the significance of faith in the fight against the inner darkness of ones self. Noticeably the pinnacle of Browns spiritual torment is a visualization of offense in his wife Faith.  Manifestation suggests that distrust of Faith is also the beginning of that torment (Paulits).

According to Richard H. Fogle, this story is believed to be one of Hawthornes most difficult tales due to the ambiguity of the conclusion that could supposedly be drawn from the story (Fogle).  Richard feels that the situations and happenings on the night on which Brown had a dream were hard to be interpreted and understood.  He feels that there is not enough clarity on the fact that whether the happening on that particular are merely subjective or are they actually true(Fogle).  However, according to Richard, all the ambiguities of meanings in the story were all intentional and have very excellently served the purpose of the author.
Hawthorne wishes to propose, not flatly that man is primarily evil, but instead the gnawing doubt lest this should indeed be true.  Come Devil for to thee is this world given (Hawthorne), exclaims Goodman Brown at the height of his agony, but he finds strength to resist the devil, and in the ambiguous conclusion he does not entirely reject his former faith (Fogle).

Browns inspiration for meeting with the witches is never made completely clear and it is only a speculation from the references made by the devil to others that have come into his dream. The other man who accompanies Brown in his journey in the woods speaks of the King, Browns father and grandfather, the deacon, minister and mayor. The devil makes it apparent that anybody with any authority, accomplishment or for that matter any individual that means anything to Brown is in fact associated with Satan. Although Brown resists the devils lure at first as more and more people are brought to his notice as being his followers of the dim one, the thought becomes more satisfactory and convincing.

Goodman Brown might have been the authors expression of his own effort and fight with his faith in humankind and his own self. Hawthorne was a remorse ridden person and it seems that he had a lot of instances when his trust and belief were tested. Brown can be looked up as the author himself to a little extent.

At the beginning of the story, Goodman Brown starts his journey as an excellent, contented, respectable man and he seems to be very satisfied. All of these qualities of Brown change when he decides not in favor of the advice of his wife faith which is an obvious symbolism in its name, that he should set out on a journey into the forest to attend a meeting with the devil. As he continues to walk down the forest he arrives at the height of his journey when he finally comes upon the meeting with the witches. Once Brown reaches this point he loses his faith despite his last ditch effort to save his wife. He never knows if he was able to save her. This doubt is what destroyed him (Fogle).

Though it is extremely difficult to ascertain the facts about whether the dream and all the subsequent happening were true or not, it is better to assume that it was just a dream that popped up from the protagonists subconscious.

However, a few characters tics of Brown can be stated his suspicious nature and his curiosity to delve into the lives of other people in the community. It can also be clearly stated that he has made up his mind to believe that, despite the amount of goodness and pious nature of an individual, he is capable to have some amount of evil notions.  Also, surprisingly, Brown has not even left his wife Faith whom he once trusted the most to be an exclusion to his belief and mindset.  It can thus be said that, Browns character is rather a flat character and is susceptible to distrust and self-doubt.  He does not seem to possess any naturally valiant traits and on the contrary simply responds to the situation in hand.

Goodman Brown was a man shattered by his own fascination and obsession. He lived an unhappy life as a result of the culpability he felt for going on a gloomy journey in his dreams which consequently resulted in his distrust of everyone and a lack of faith for individuals in his community, his own self and human race. The only possible way through which Goodman Brown might have saved his faith would have been to never go on board on the gloomy path.

In conclusion, it can be stated that the story Young Goodman Brown is appealing from a literary point of view as such he is equally a round and a dreary character. Brown is transformed by his experience regardless of the same being either real or a dream - an uncompromising, miserable, a darkly pensive, skeptical man that he become at the end.  However, this kind of transformation cannot be portrayed as progress, as he became static because of that transformation.