Symbolism in Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown”
...s she was aptly named”. Faith was an important subject in Puritan belief. The name Faith served as a reminder of those beliefs during the protagonist’s journey through the woods. Another thought about the use of Faith in this story is the comparison of Young Goodman Brown to the Puritans. Young Goodman Brown’s journey in the dark woods, the evil path, without his wife, Faith, could be a symbol for the Puritan times of walking away from their faith and beliefs. Hawthorne’s use of names as symbols paved the way for deeper symbols later on the story. Hawthorne’s use of objects as symbols was present at the beginning of this tale. Faith, the protagonist’s wife, was described with a cap on her head that had pink ribbons. These pink ribbons are symbolic of the youth of these characters. The color pink is also symbolic. Pink symbolizes youth but also symbolizes the mixing of sin, which is the color crimson in Bible stories, and innocence, which is white in Bible stories. The latter of the two symbols is an example of Puritan’s strong belief in the Bible. Another object that Hawthorne used as a symbol was the staff that Brown’s traveling companion walked with. The reader is introduced to the staff in the description of this companion of Brown’s. “But the only thing about him that could be fixed upon as remarkable was his staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake, so curiously wrought that it might almost be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a living serpent.” In Puritan thoughts, snakes are often an emblem of the devil, or temptation. This thought goes back to the creation story in the Bible when Satan came as a serpent and tempted Eve with the fruit of knowledge. This also brings on another symbol of the snake-like staff. The snake-life staff could also represent an opportunity for newer but more evil knowledge. This mystery character that travels with Brown is taking him to a new place, a place where many before him have traveled. Hawthorne’s use of objects and colors as symbols create more depth in his stories. The settings of this story are symbolic of the universal battle of good versus evil. The story starts out in the town of present day Danvers, known in the story as Salem village. The village is representation of good and of John Winthrop’s “City upon a hill” concept. In the village there are rigid paths with predetermined endings. Ther...