LITR
4232: American Renaissance
University
of Houston-Clear Lake, spring 2002
Index to Student Research Projects
Donna King
LITR 4232
4-15-02
Symbolism of Hawthorne
Hawthorne was the descendent of
the Puritan who disliked organized religion. His writings draw on the ideas of
Puritan theology and witchcraft practices. He believed that "…the
misfortunes of his immediate family were the result of…for the sins of his
ancestors" (Fitzgerald, 152). The central themes seem to surround secret
sin and guilt, as well as, spiritual doubt. As in all of Hawthorne's works,
Young Goodman Brown contains several allegorical symbols. His symbols are
designed to show an abstract of the truth, in order to give the reader a
"…somber view of human nature"(233) from a Puritanic-Calvinist point
of view. This paper will examine the symbols found within Young Goodman Brown
and the possible meaning of those symbols.
Young Goodman Brown is a dream allegory in which Brown, himself, appears to be
the first symbol of the story. He seems to be a representation of mankind and
the decision one must make between good and evil. Hawthorne portrays Brown as
having a secret sin that takes him on a spiritual journey through the forest of
evil "…for his heart smote him. 'What a wretch I am to leave her
[Faith] on such an errand" (Hawthorne, 2186-87). This may be the author's
way of telling the reader that Brown is aware of the evil purpose of the journey
that he is setting out upon. Because of Brown's apparent awareness of his
sinfulness "…his trip destroys any belief ...in Goodman Brown"
(Hurley, 251). Along with Brown, his wife, Faith, is also a symbol in the story.
Faith seems to be a symbol of innocence and piety. Hawthorne describes her
character as " 'sweet,' 'pretty,' and 'little'…who serves as an emblem of
steadfastness in a world of pollution" (Levy, 283). Her name alone seems to
symbolize the spirituality that Brown thinks that he has. He believes that he
will get to heaven clinging to her skirt tails. Brown leaving "My love and
my Faith" (Hawthorne, 2186) seems to tell the reader that for one night he
is leaving his wife and his spirituality behind. Brown's Faith keeping him back
awhile may symbolize Brown giving up his faith before entering the forest. After
Brown encounters the reverend and the deacon he calls for Faith. Here the reader
cannot be certain whether Brown is calling for his wife or God's grace and
guidance to help him deny the power of Satan.
Along with Faith, her pink ribbons
also seem to symbolize innocence. The ribbons may be a symbol of the purity of
marriage coming up in several important scenes throughout the story. When Brown
"…seized… a pink ribbon"(Hawthorne, 2191). The reader may assume
that this is the point at which Brown loses both his spiritual faith and his
faith in his fellow man. One critic ascertains that the "…ribbons
represent…the spiritual imperfection of all mankind" (Ferguson, 256). The
pink ribbon appears to signify a loss of innocence and Brown's commitment
"…to a belief in the wickedness of the world" (Hurley, 253).
The forest also seems to be an
important symbol. According to Puritan belief, the forest was seen as evil and
sinful. The forest also serves "…as a symbol of withdrawal into
oneself" (252). It is full of the "…creaking of the trees…"
and "…the howling of wild beasts…" as though nature "…were
laughing at him in scorn" (Hawthorne, 2191). Brown finds himself walking
along a path that seems to disappear behind him. The forest reveals its sin by
having a "…dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees" (2187).
The forest itself reveals another important symbol to the reader.
Once Brown entered the forest he
came upon "…the figure of a man…"(2187). Hawthorne makes the
reader aware that the dark man had been waiting for Brown's arrival. The man is
assumed to be Satan for he has a staff that resembled a snake, yet Brown refers
to him as "friend". The two men are said to be so closely compared
that they could pass for father and son. This stranger is so strangely described
"…that he is indisputably Goodman Brown's own personal devil"
(Hurley, 252). This event implicates Brown in his knowledge of his sinful
journey. Brown tells Satan that he will be the first Brown to venture on this
particular journey. Satan makes his associations with Brown's father and
grandfather very clear to Brown. Brown realizes that although they have
not journeyed far into the forest that he has gone too far. Satan, however,
convinces Brown to continue on their journey and on the way to their destination
Satan conjures Goode Cloyse, the deacon, and the minister. The reader may assume
that Satan shows Brown these important leaders in order to discredit their
goodness. It seems that Satan does this in order to destroy their respectability
so that Goodman Brown could "…fully commit himself to a belief in the
wickedness of the world" (Hurley, 253). Goodman Brown lets himself be lead
deep into the forest to the conclusion of their journey.
Goodman Brown comes upon a
clearing, with the speed of a demon, and sees a "…grave and dark-clad
company" (Hawthorne, 2192). Brown found, within this company, many of his
church members participating in a devilish communion. During the communion in
the forest, Satan speaks of "…how hoary- bearded elders…whispered
wanton words to the young maids of their households…and how fair
damsels…have dug little graves…to an infant's funeral" (Hawthorne,
2193).
This may be Hawthorne's way of implying, to the reader, the belief that all of
mankind is sinful. One critic points to this discovery of sexual sin as Brown's
"…recognition of his own sexual nature" (Fitzgerald, 233). He beheld
the "…whole earth one stain of guilt…" (Hawthorne, 2193). Brown
witnessed the
"… Shape of Evil dip his hand, and prepare to lay the mark of baptism
upon their foreheads, that they might be partakers in the mystery of
sin…" (2194).
It seems to the reader that, at this point, Brown has decided to back out of the
deal that he made with the devil. At the moment that Brown pleads with his wife,
Faith, to look up to Heaven the allegory of the dream comes to an end. Suddenly,
he finds himself "…against a rock and felt it's chill and damp…"
(2194). All that had been on fire, moments ago, was cold and dark.
As Goodman Brown returns to the
village he is astonished to find that everyone in the village was going on with
their normal, daily activities. Brown "…shrank from the bosom of
Faith" (2195). This seems to signify the consequences of his evil
date with the devil. He believes the visions that he sees when he is with Satan
"…thus becomes cynical as a result of his sin and thought that he saw
evil where none existed"(McKeithan, 235). Brown remained cynical until his
death. Hawthorne describes Brown as a "…hoary-corpse…"(Hawthorne,
2195). This seems to imply to the reader that, even at his death he did not let
go of his own sexual and spiritual sins, and his pride. It would seem that the
most apparent reason for Brown's final state of mind is that he was
"…required to face and acknowledge the evil in himself and others…so as
to be able to recognize the good, and has failed the test" (Adams, 167).
From the characters to the background setting, Hawthorne intertwined many
Puritan beliefs in order to tell a compelling story of sin and betrayal in Young
Goodman Brown. Hawthorne used details of the Puritans, together with
nineteenth-century views as a way to "…examine …anxieties over…sexual
and moral issues" (Fitzgerald, 234). The symbols used represent the
starkness and rigidity of the Puritan thought on spiritual, sexual, and moral
dilemmas.
Works
Cited
Adams, Richard. Short Story
Criticism, Vol. 3. Ed. Sheila Fitzgerald.
Gale Research: Detroit, 1989.
Ferguson, J.M. Short Story Criticism, Vol. 29. Ed. Sheila Fitzgerald.
Gale Research: Detroit, 1989.
Fitzgerald, Sheila. Short Story Criticism. Vol. 29. Ed. Sheila
Fitzgerald. Gale Research: Detroit, 1989.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Heath Anthology of American Literature.
Vol. 1. Fourth Edition. Ed Paul Lauter. Houghton Mifflin
Company: New York, 2002. Pages 2186-2195.
Hurley, Paul. Short Story Criticism. Vol. 29. Ed. Sheila Fitzgerald.
Gale Research: Detroit, 1989.
Levy, Leo. Short Story Criticism. Vol.29. Ed. Sheila Fitzgerald.
Gale Research: Detroit, 1989.
McKeithan, D.M. Short Story Criticism. Vol. 29. Ed. Sheila
Fitzgerald. Gale Research: Detroit, 1989.