Salem: A Result of Good or Evil?

In every story, the setting plays a mayor role in how to interpret, understand, and make sense of the whole content. It represents the structure that lead to the continuing process of the scenario. In Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne uses the forest, the time of the day and, the path Goodman follows to symbolize the struggle between God and the devil.

In the beginning of the story, there is a conversation between Goodman Brown and his wife, Faith. She calls him “dearest heart” and “dear husband” which lets the reader know that he Goodman Brown must be a very caring and loving husband to his wife Faith. Goodman Brown is the protagonist. As the story proceeds it goes on to tell about Goodman Browns choices he takes on. Hawthorne chooses the forest for its insanity and it’s lawless. Oppose to the environment of the city where reason, law and other values are not, the forest indicates the need to escape from the society’s judgment eye. Goodman Brown knows as a minister, should be in the town one who is first to follow the rules and give the good example. In the forest, only the “unseen multitude” will see him meeting with the devil.

When Young Goodman Brown came forth at sunset, into the street of Salem Village, the readers recall of Salem witch trials that were held in the 1600’s. These were the trials of servants of the Puritans who were believed to be witches because the practiced different beliefs and religions. This starts the mood to the story, knowing the history. The woods are another great factor of setting for the story. The woods symbolize dreariness darkness and the terror of the unknown. The fact that most of the story is in the woods puts us in this queasiness state to relate to what is happening.

Concepting the picture of Goodman Brown is once he begins starting off his