Analisis of Young Goodman Brown
“Young Goodman Brown” represents mankind wanting to be without sin, but realizing that sin is human nature. ... Goodman Brown’s dilemma was his life and upbringing was not as good as he thought; “I [the devil] helped you grand father, 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 Philip’s war. ... Goodman Brown has chances to end this journey and return home, but the devil convinces him to carry on. ... Goodman Brown felt that he should not be doing this since he and his ancestors have always been God fearing people; who is he to be challenging all he had been taught (133). ... Goodman Brown figures that he must push on and find out the truth for himself. Along the way he sees a woman that Goodman Brown recognizes from his youth. ... Goodman Brown did not want her to see him with the devil, so he went into the woods to hide. The devil said fine and went on his way along the road towards the woman with Goodman Brown watching from the woods. To Goodman Brown’s disbelief Goody Cloyse not only knew who the devil was but accepted him for who he was, the devil. She says to the devil, “So as I was saying be already at the meeting, and no horse to ride on, I made up my mind to foot it; for they tell me there is a nice young man to be taken into communion to-night. ... Seeing this caused Goodman Brown to finally say, “Friend”, said stubbornly, “my mind is made up. ... But the devil is a sly one, he says fine stay here but when Goodman Brown was ready to push on his journey, he gave him his new evil walking stick so that he would be able to continue with his errand. ... It was up to Goodman Brown to decide if he should accept the gift and take the easy way out or say no and struggle with the fight between evil and good. At this point the devil as done his job; he got Goodman Brown to question all of his beliefs, “He looked up to the sky, doubting whether there was really a heaven above him” (137).