Reidy 1 Stephanie Reidy Instructor Wright ENG 113-970 26 September 2013 Young Goodman Browns Adventure in the Woods

Symbolism can play a great part in the plot, character, and theme of the story. Symbolism greatly affects the plot which occurs in the woods where Goodman Brown falls asleep and dreams of his wild witch meeting (Hawthorne 163). Symbolism can also be seen in the characters of the story because a word might have a literal meaning such as a person or thing, but also can stand for an idea or feeling at the same time. The theme of the story is also full of symbolism because the entire story uses it to show an underlying theme to teach a lesson. The plot of the story is strongly influenced by symbolism. The whole story is describing Browns trip into the woods when he falls asleep and dreams, but it has an underlying message as well. Although it appears to be that Brown actually walks into the woods as he heads to the meeting, apparently the rest of the witch-meeting is just a dream. When Brown wakes up out of the dream, he is still leaning against the rock on which he fell asleep, and when morning comes, he heads back into town (162). Nothing truly happens to him this night, but the dream affects him for the rest of his life (163). He dreads to hear the songs and preaching at the services and sternly gazed at his wife and turned away when his family has gatherings at his home (163). The dream is told as if it were actually part of the story, which affects the plot. The characters of the story are largely shaped by symbolism. Faith is Goodman Browns wife, but she also symbolizes Browns religious faith as well as his faith in his fellow human beings. When Brown states that his Faith kept him back a while (155), he is meaning not only

Reidy 2 that his wife keeps him back, but also his faith in God is trying to keep him from going to that meeting. Also, when he thinks he sees a pink ribbon flying down through the dark cloud and his wifes voice mixed in the crowd of wicked people, he thinks that she has sold herself to the devil. Because if this, he totally gives up his faith in God because he loses his faith in his fellow human beings and thinks no one can overcome temptations (159). The pink ribbon that Faith wears in her hat can symbolize innocence and happiness. When Brown sees Faiths ribbon fly down from the black cloud, he feels that she has lost her faith in God because she has lost her innocence. Nevertheless, after he awakens and decides to go back home, he finds Faith happy, normal, and still wearing her pink ribbon in her hat (163). Faith does not lose her innocence, but Brown is so influenced by heading to the meeting and by having his wild dream that the guilt of his sin hangs over him continually (163). Symbolism is also shown in the character of the second traveler with the snake-like staff who is symbolic of the devil. The story shows that the second traveler was about fifty years old, apparently in the same rank of life as Goodman Brown, and bearing a considerable resemblance to himStill they might have been taken for father and son (155). This proves that the second traveler resembles a man of the same character as Goodman Brown, but because he has an indescribable air of one who knew the world and [he has a] staff, which bore the likeness of a great black snake that twisted and wriggled as if it is alive (156), he is understood as the devil. The underlying themes of the story are also greatly affected by symbolism. When the underlying meaning is understood, the entire story is understood much more clearly. People think that they can go after a temptation just once, but in the end, their lives are totally destroyed because they turn from the light to darkness. When Brown goes into the dark woods as the sun

Reidy 3 sets (155), he is going on a mission to sell his soul to the devil. This shows the difference between light and darkness. When people are practicing witchcraft, they normally go into the darkness and seclusion of the dark woods at night instead of walking on the open, heavilytravelled path in broad daylight. The path that Goodman Brown chooses leads him into despair and destruction. Another underlying theme of the story is that the devil makes Brown think that if he goes on this mission just once, he can come back, live his normal, happy lifestyle, and go to heaven with his wife (155). As the snake beguiled Eve to eat of the fruit just once because she was curious, so the devil beguiles Brown to go to the meeting just once because he was curious. The devil actually uses a snake-like rod as a means of deceiving Brown (156). Snakes are generally related with sin, the devil, and seduction. Instead of living a happy life with his wife after this encounter, he actually lives the rest of his life depressed and tormented. Also shown here is the hypocrisy of many people who go to church and call themselves Christians but live like the devil. After Brown dreams that the ministers are going through the woods to that meeting and that he hears the voices of all the pious people going to that meeting (159), he never trusts people again, especially the religious people that he knows from the town and the church (162-3). Young Goodman Brown is full of symbolism. After considering the underlying meanings of the characters and ideas, the setting in the woods where Brown dreams of the meeting, and the themes that could be derived from the story, the meaning is depicted totally different than just reading this passage as a story. Young Goodman Brown is depicted as if the entire scenario were taking place in reality; nevertheless, most of it is a dream.

Reidy 4 Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown. An Introduction to Literature: Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 16th ed. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, William E. Cain. Boston: Longman. 2011. Print.