Sketch The Character of Goodman Brown

It goes without saying that Young Goodman Brown is the protagonist in the short story Young Goodman Brown composed by Nathaniel Hawthorne , a prominent short story writer and novelist in the annals of American literature . Young Goodman Brown is a miraculous creation of Hawthorne through whom the author has revealed the power of evil .



Goodman Brown stands out with a strong position in the story and makes a profound influence on the mind of the readers . The author has portrayed different aspects of his character in an excellent manner .



Young Goodman Brown has been appetite for adventure as at the beginning of the story we find him seeking leave of his wife Faith for an unknown errand through a thick forest . But it is astonishing to note that he did not know about the journey . From that point of view , we can easily deem that Young Goodman Brown is an adventurous man . For his adventurous activities , there are some conspicuous reasons to consider him a hero of the story .


A keen study of the story shows us that Young Goodman Brown possesses profound love to his wife Faith . When he seeks permission from his wife for an unknown journey through the dense forest , his wife implores him to stay at night . But Goodman Brown explains that he must complete this journey that night , though he has addressed his wife with deep love .


Young Goodman Brown is a minute observer of the people , things and incidents around him . He provides a subtle look to the way of his journey to the devil . In the dense forest he met an old man and he realized that the man had been waiting for his arrival to the forest . With the power of his minute observance he realized that the man was about fifty years . He got surprised to find that the old man was akin to him . He also discovered that the man bore a staff and it was like a black snake . Young Goodman Brown could not see it clearly because of the deep darkness of the forest though he realized all these happenings including the staff .


Goodman is regarded as the mouthpiece of Hawthorne as the author shows the power of evil through the presentation of his character . The author shows man's inherent tendency to evil through Goodman Brown . When he recognized the pink ribbon of his wife Faith , he becomes an utter frustrated man . He discovers very strange incidents , sounds and images in the deep forest .


From the above discussion , it can be safely said that Goodman Brown is an adventurous character , but his terrible adventure makes him become stern , distrustful and desperate at the climax of the story . It is also affirmed that he is a prototype of mankind who is pervaded by the indomitable power of evil .