Nathaniel Hawthrone’s Use of Allegory

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Use of Allegory

In “Young Goodman Brown,” Hawthorne uses moral allegory to exemplify the story of a young man who is unwillingly separated from his world of purity to become conscious of the extensive wickedness that lives in his world. Allegory is a type of extended metaphor, in which objects, people, and events in a narrative, are equal with the implications that extend beyond the story itself. The hidden meaning has ethical, social, spiritual, or political implications, and characters are often representations of nonfigurative ideas as donations, gluttony, or jealousy. Therefore an allegory is a narrative with double meanings, a simple meaning and a figurative meaning. The following paragraphs explain how allegory and symbolism are used throughout “Young Goodman Brown.” These allegories are split up into four main parts including Young Goodman Brown and Faith’s names, the forest and the devil, Brown’s father and community, and Brown’s acceptance of the evil.

First, the names, Young Goodman Brown and Faith, are both symbolic. Brown’s innocence and good personality are symbolized by his name. Brown’s youth suggests that he is a pure and guiltless young man. Faith’s name exemplifies the decency that is found in a young wife. Brown’s marriage to Faith symbolizes that he clutches to a faith that represents good in this world. The pink ribbon Faith wears in her hair represents a sign of heavenly faith. Soon after in the story, when Brown meets his companion in the woods,

he states that he was held back by Faith. Here, Hawthorne uses the name of Brown’s wife as a representation for Brown’s own faith in righteousness. Brown looking back to his home to kiss Faith goodbye represents Brown’s plans of giving in to the evil ways. Even though Brown is weary of this decision, he gives in to the desire of following the immoral path into the forest.

Second, Brown’s passage through the woods is on a thin, gloomy, and tedious trail. The gloom and dullness represent the evil that waits in the woods. In the woods, Brown meets his escort, a character who signifies being the devil. The devil suggests Brown to take his walking stick that is illustrated as having “the likeness of a great black snake” (Hawthorne 387). The snake “might also be seen to twist and wriggle itself like a live serpent” (Hawthorne 387). The snake-like facade of the staff symbolizes the crafty and deceitful character of Brown’s companion. Jimmy Maher points out that “Christian, and particularly Puritan, theology emphasizes that the devil's natural domain is here in the real world, and that he can thus easily corrupt anyone who grows too attached to life here on the material plane.” The snake coming to life represents that satin is already marauding on Brown. The devil offers the staff to Brown, but he declines taking such a tool of sin. Brown’s refusal of the staff indicates Brown’s unwillingness to give in to the wickedness of the world.

Third, Brown perceives his father as honest and a good Christian, but as the devil explains to Brown that he has been very close with his family, his father develops into symbols of people that represent the wicked that exists around Brown. The devil tells

Brown that he has a general acquaintance with the people of New England. The devil also has general acquaintances with other people that are close to Brown. Brown is shocked to find out that the minister and his Sunday school teacher, Goody Cloyse, bear the interests for evil ways. Brown then understands