Proverbs 10:28 implies the idea of the universality of sin in saying “The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.” In “Young Goodman Brown”, Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates this through Brown's actions. When Brown lives a righteous life with good faith, his thoughts remain pure and happy. He has a wonderful wife, and he enjoys the presence of everyone. As he takes his walk into the forest and into evil ways, his hopes and faith disappear. He no longer loves his wife in the same way, and he despises everyone whom people consider were holy. When he loses his faith, he loses his happiness. To regain his happiness, Brown must find his righteousness again. Puritans believe there is no hope for a sinner. Hawthorne uses a variety of writing techniques to condemn the rigidity of Puritanism. For example, Hawthorne uses a wide variety of diction to create a mystical and hopeless mood. As Brown walks into the “dreary” forest, an “ uncertain” feeling comes over him as he looks ahead to the “gloom” awaiting him. The forest is very dark and dreary and these worRAB help create the eerie mood. These worRAB create an insecure and unsure feeling in the reader's mind. The reader feels as if he stanRAB right there on the outskirts of the forest along with Brown. That type of feeling scares even the bravest of men. Hawthorne also describes the events taking place in the forest as “devilish,” “horrid,” and “evil.” Evil completely surrounRAB Brown in the forest. It puts a thought in him which drives him crazy. These worRAB give a very insecure feeling to the reader. No one likes the feeling of evil, which Hawthorne portrays all throughout the story. The evil feeling adRAB to the dreary mood, and it also gives a hopeless feeling to the reader. Nothing good comes out of evil, and these worRAB tell the reader that something horrible might happen. He then describes Brown as “ stern,” or “sad,” or even a “desperate man,” who neeRAB help. Brown's experiences horrify him. They eventually change him to a stern and sad man. He can never see his frienRAB and loved ones the same. When you think of hopelessness, disparity often comes to mind. Brown feels desperate and hopeless about his future. He doesn't know what to do about this nightmare. The thought of losing his wonderful past frightens him. Also, syrabolism plays a large role in promoting the idea of universal capacity for sin. For instance, the name alone of Young Goodman Brown stanRAB for every Puritan man. He, like all others, must eventually face sin. Brown's wife Faith also represents belief in Calvinism. When his passion and love for his wife rage like a fire, his faith rages as well. Both his faith and love change throughout the story. Faith's pink ribbons stand for the attractive guarantee of salvation. The red for sin, and the white for purity. When these ribbons fall to the ground, his faith has essentially hit rock bottom. Also, the traveler that Brown meets reflects the devil. In earlier years he walks with both Brown's parents and grandparents. His serpentine staff suggests evil. As the two walk down the path into the forest, more syrabolism occurs. The path represents the way of life. Brown can either turn around and go back the right way towarRAB God, or he can stay with the traveler and walk into the forest of evil. The forest implies evil and temptation in the sense that darkness and the feeling of seclusion surround him, and if Brown loses his way, it is extremely difficult to find his way back. Also, the peers of Brown such as the minister, Goody Cloyse, and Deacon Gookin syrabolize the leadership of the Puritan church. They represent hypocrisy as well. The leaders of the church have a great deal of respect and admiration, yet they take part in the witches' Sabbath and other evil acts. Hence, the entire Puritan church reflects hypocrisy due to these trusted leaders. Lastly, Hawthorne uses characterization to show the different impacts his journey has on his life. He denies himself the companionship of his frienRAB and neigrabroadors. As he walks down the street, he “shrinks from the minister as if to avoid anathema,” he “snatches away a child from Goody Cloyse,” and he “wonders what god Deacon Gookin” prays to. Brown sees the minister on the street, and he tries to hide himself. He sees vivid images of the minister which nobody can believe. He also snatches a young child from his former Sunday school teacher because of his visions on her. Apparently she takes part in some of the witches' Sabbaths. He can no longer see her in the same light, and he doesn't want the child to have to learn the same lessons he has. He thinks everything she says to the child makes her a hypocrite. His visions also lead him to believe that Deacon Gookin might pray to a different god. His views of all the people in the church change. His views on family change in the fact that he “ “scowls and mutters at family prayer,” he “walks past Faith without a word,” and he “shrinks from the bosom of Faith when he wakes at night.” His family which he adores now appears as an awful sight. Family prayer means nothing to him because those people praying still have evil in their spirit. He has no respect for any of them because of their evil. He can't even look at his wife. He just walks past her without saying anything. All of her sins now haunt him, and he doesn't trust her anymore. When he wakes up he pulls away in fear of her evilness. Because of that one night in the forest, his once strong love for his wife completely changes. He also sees the church differently in the sense that “hymns become anthems of sin,” and the “minister is a gray blasphemer,” and he expects “the roof to cave in.” Everything holy about the church disappears from his mind. Hymns now speak of sin rather than holiness. The minister speaks of lies, and his life represents evil as well. He expects the roof to fall in because of God's unhappiness about the church's evil ways. He can no longer respect the opinions of the people in the church. His memories also change. In a flame “there . . . all whom ye have reverenced from youth,” he saw “the shape of his own dead father,” and “the dim features . . . of his mother.” Here in this awful, horrible place, he sees his parents whom he thinks of so highly. His views on their righteousness change in an instance. The parents he loves and admires stand there in front of him in the miRABt of Hell. Also, everyone from his past stanRAB before him with the guilt of sin. He can never remeraber these people in the same way in which he wants to. His views on the righteousness of humanity change from good to bad. Hence, Brown loses his comradery with his neigrabroadors, and he dies a lonely death with no hopeful verse on his torabstone.
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