Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown".

Summary

Set in the New England Puritan community. The protagonist, young Goodman Brown, has been married for three months. He has to leave for the first time for a night for an errand. Faith, his wife, warns him, because she had a troubled dream. Brown leaves anyway.

Brown follows an evil purpose. On his way he meets an elderly man who could be held for his father. This traveller has a staff curved to the shape of a great black snake. Brown hesitates to go because none of his ancestors ever went to the woods on such an errand before. Still he follows the man. The man with the staff explains he has a very general acquaintance in New England, including even the governor.

On their way they meet a very pious and exemplary dame, Goody Cloyse, who taught Brown his catechism, jointly with the village minister, and with Deacon Gookin. Cloyse complains about the loss of her broomstick which has been stolen from her. The man with the staff offers her the staff. Then he plucks a branch of maple as a walking stick. It was wet with dew, but as he touched it, it dried up suddenly. The company talk about a young man who should be taken into communion tonight.

Brown refuses to go any further. The man with the staff lets him sit down and leaves him his new staff just in case he would choose to go on. Brown thinks of his exemplary wife and tries to resist the temptation. He actually manages and is determined to turn back when he hears the voices of the minister and the Deacon. They talk about a young woman to be taken into the communion tonight.

On the blue sky a cloud appears and as if from it voices are heard. Brown believes he distinguishes the voice of Faith. He comes across a pink ribbon which was on Faith's cap when he was leaving. He cries: "Come, devil; for to thee is this world given," and starts running deeper into the forest. He arrives to a red light. There is a great community, infamous sinners together with the saints of the town. This community is gathered by the sympathy of human hearts for sin. Verse after verse is sung. A voice cries to bring the converts. Brown could have sworn that it was the shape of his own dead father who encouraged him to step to the light, while the voice of his mother warned him.

Brown realizes that Faith is standing by his side. As the shape of evil is going to lay the mark of baptism on their foreheads, Brown suddenly finds himself sitting in the forest where he was before. The next morning, he finds himself estranged both from the community from his own wife. There is no change in the behaviour of the other community members or of his wife, only Brown changes. Was he dreaming in the forest or not? There is no answer to this question and no solution offered.

Brown dies a wrenched man and no hopeful verse is carved upon his tombstone.

Analysis

(from Portable Hawthorne)

- a parable with several meanings possible

- the most obvious interpretation: a young man conscious of his own guilt suddenly finds himself in a vast confraternity of the damned

- "Evil is the nature of mankind," Satan tells Brown and his wife as they stand before an unholy altar. "Welcome again, my children, to the communion of your race."

- recurrent motives: the man's staff, Faith's pink ribbons

- conclusion: we all are sinners alike

(from Literary Theory and Criticism Lectures)

- emphasis on the universality of the characters: Brown is a very common name, also Goodman (as "a good man") may apply to almost anyone of us

- telling names: Goodman, Faith, Goody