“Young Goodman Brown” is a religious allegory written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The setting for the story is a village forest in Salem in 1692. The mood Hawthorne creates for this masterpiece reflects the Dark Romantic period to mi.  The characteristics of this period include the description of human frailty  and self-destruction. Hawthorne uses symbolism and allegories to highlight a Puritan's gradual fall from faithfulness into evil. Interestingly, in "Young Goodman Brown", Hawthorne describes the protagonist's journey through the symbolic forest using imagery and connotation. The forest symbolizes the hostile environment that will encompass Goodman Brown.

First, the description of the forest foreshadows the emergence of the devil. When I first encountered the woods in the text, the significance of the danger surfaced, represented by the dense trees and bushes. For example, the bushes provide cover while woodland creatures await the opportunity to ambush their prey. Furthermore, when people journey through the woods, an element of danger exists, creating suspicion and angst. Goodman Brown experiences the same intuition while in the forest. Hawthorne writes in the  ninth paragraph, "There may be a devilish Indian…the devil himself should be at my very elbow," implying that Goodman will encounter the devil (Hawthorne 1). The mysteriousness of the forest convinces Goodman Brown that danger awaits, establishing an atmosphere of fear throughout the story. The Puritans believed indigenous people were barbaric, aligned with the forest and unchristian rituals and beliefs. As a result, the Puritans regarded the native people as  demons. Subsequently, Goodman assumes there is an Indian behind every tree. Hawthorne uses their presence to foretell the emergence of the devil. Goodman Brown continuously surveys the surrounding area, sensing the devil may be by his side (1). When the pious old lady said, "the devil!" this detail of foreshadowing is confirmed(4).

Hawthorne uses the forest as a metaphor for doubt and anxiety, where the mind turns on itself. His depiction of  the way the forest seems to swallow Goodman Brown indicates he is getting lost in his own mind. Along the journey of Goodman Brown, the forest "closed immediately behind [him]", capturing and holding him prisoner (Hawthorne 1). Goodman Brown gradually trudges forward but loses sight of his path and from where he had come. Hawthorne parallels Goodman Brown's shadowy path through the woods with the "road" in his hardening heart. This comparison depicts the process of Goodman Brown transitioning into darkness.

In retrospect, Goodman Brown was a religious man when in the shelter of his home. Yet, as he left the protection and familiarity of his house, he lost sight of the significance of faith and truth, slowly digressing into corruption and immorality. 

Hawthorne cleverly uses foreshadowing to insinuate the evil which will encompass Goodman Brown. At the end of the story, when he returns to Salem, he is suspicious of the good old minister, Deacon Gookin, Goody Cloyse, and even his wife, Faith (Hawthorne 9). Goodman Brown no longer trusts people who were pious before, and  completely loses his innocence.

Moreover, the forest is the allegory symbolizes the Garden of Eden in the Bible, Goodman Brown represents Adam,  and Faith represents Eve. They were in a carefree life in Salem Village with pious people, like Adam and Eve, living in paradise. Nevertheless, their pious life ended when Goodman Brown stepped into the forest. He met an old man with a staff which “bore the likeness of a great black snake… a living serpent” (Hawthorne 2). Goodman Brown finally used the staff and appeared at the ceremony because of his curiosity in the forest. When he identifies many people that he thought were pious, they are indeed evil. He became preoccupied and suspicious of everyone. Thus, his life of heaven in Salem Village was eventually terminated. In comparison, the experiences of Adam and Eve are strikingly similar. Satan, appearing as a serpent, convinces Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For doing so, God expels Adam and Eve from paradise for betraying His  instructions. In these comparisons, Hawthorne uses allegory to express the story of Adam and Eve.

The description of nature is a characteristic of the story in the Dark Romantic period. In the eighth paragraph, Hawthorne describes the forest as “dreary,” “gloomy,” and “narrow” (1). Describing both the conditions of the forest and Goodman Brown’s mental state. Recognizing he is alone and lacking protection; the fearful Goodman Brown acknowledges that the safety of his future is uncertain. Hawthorne describes the forest as “concealed by the innumerable trunks and the thick boughs overhead” (1). This depiction states that the canopy of the trees in a dense forest impedes sun light and makes the sight of the blue skies difficult. Conveying a depressing atmosphere. From the narration of the forest, Hawthorne uses nature to express the atmosphere of the environment and the mental makeup of Goodman Brown. 

The allegory of the forest relates to the short story’s theme, as most of the story takes place in the dark forest. The forest foreshadows the ending of Goodman Brown’s once-strong faith in the forest’s darkness. Thus, the description of nature provides a haunting foundation for the dark conflicts of the plot. The allegory of the story illustrates the belief that God created human beings to live in a Christian paradise. Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown” illustrates the transformation man experiences when spite, distrust, and doubt cripple his resolve. Was it the haunting forest or merely a dream? One may never know. 

Work Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown. 1835. Columbia University, columbia.edu/itc/english/f1124y-001/resources/Young_Goodman_Brown.pdf. Accessed 25 October 2021.