Discuss Young Goodman Brown as an allegorical story .

It will not be overstated to remark that Young Goodman Brown is rightly deemed as one of the finest creations of Nathaniel Hawthorne . Through the simple narration of the story , the writer with his extraordinary literary craftsmanship motivates the readers to the inner significance of the story . Hawthorne has presented the story in allegorical way in which he has transparently shows the evil in human mind and how man is dominated by evil .




Before delineating Young Goodman Brown , we should have an idea about allegory . As a rule , an allegory is a story in verse or prose with double meaning , a primary or surface meaning ; and a secondary or under surface meaning . It is a story , therefore , that can be read , understood and interpreted in two levels . It should be noted that , in the allegorical writings the author deals with one subject under the guise of another .


Hawthorne attempts to communicate a doctrine that evil always takes hold the upper hand of a man . The central character of this story is treated allegorically which comprehensively stands for every man . The protagonist's wife Faith is also taken allegorically as she stands for Christian faith and virtue . Goodman Brown's journey and activities into the the forest show man's surrender to temptation and eternal yielding to evil .


At the outset of the story , Goodman Brown is found to talk to his wife Faith for seeking her permission to start an errand of evil through a very dense forest . Faith pleads to her husband to stay with her but he insists that the journey must be completed that night . Here allegorically Hawthorne shows how a man pursues the path of evil despite prohibition . All on a sudden , in the forest Goodman Brown came across a man bearing a resemblance to him .This resemblance allegorically refers to Goodman Brown's inheritance of evil . The conversation between the old man and Goodman Brown has allegorical significance as it represents the temptation of evil in the form of logic . The conversation also allegorically shows how the young are motivated by the old to the path of evil . The story has presented the fact of man's inherent communion with evil , with allegorical significance . When he heard the confused noises of the townsfolk including the lamentation of his wife Faith , he has lost his faith .


Hawthorne has presented congregation and Brown's return to home in allegorical way . It is not clear whether the encounter in the forest was a dream but for the rest of his life Brown is changed . He has lost faith in religion and all people around him . He has also lost faith in his wife whom he loves dearly . So the ending of the story comprehensively contains allegorical significance .


In the light of the above discussion , it is clear to all that Hawthorne is successful enough to present the story in allegorical way . Through a series of incidents the author has allegorically depicted the human tendency to evil .