allegory of Young Good Brown man
The narrator of an allegory of Young Good Brown man tells an encounter with a traveler in his journey to the forest. The traveler resembled him in every aspect and was about fifty years of age. He had an indescribable air as one with much knowledge in life. Moreover, the narrator describes him as the one who could not face embarrassment at the dinner table of the governor. He has one thing against him that he had a staff that bore the likeness of a great black snake. He saw the stuff like a great deception, assisted by an unknown power the described narrator’s quote has a crucial significance in addressing the issues in his society.
To begin with, the quote enlightens the kind of community Good Brown man lived. It is a community-driven by hypocrisy (Hawthorne & Harding, 1998) the ethical and religious people who have won the trust of people do unexpected things. He meets the man at a time he had left his wife for a journey in the evil forest. His mission is set out of curiosity to know what lies in the woods. He meets this traveler who is a respected and known member of the community. Higher authorities of the land also recognize the man. The problem with him is that he is involved in evil thing things, yet he is a mirror in society. In the woods, he sees an older woman who taught him in the catechism and was respectable in the community. Goodman shies off, but the older man taps her and informs him that she was a witch headed to the devil’s ceremony in the bush.
Besides, the society’s good people are under evil deception. Goodman hears the voice and recognizes it to be of his wife, Faith. He wonders whether his wife is involved in the evils of the community. Goodman drags himself to the congregation. There he finds many people and the deacon and ministers of the church (“Spark Notes: Young Goodman Brown”, 2019). Goodman and his wife get to the center for rituals but urges Faith to oblige it. Some other young ladies are in the rituals to get the power to know all types of wickedness committed in whichever place.
He returns to Salem the next morning and meets the minister whom he saw in the bush. He declares blessings to him, but he declines them. Also, he hears the deacon praying for him. He does not accept their calls, blessings, and prayers. He sees them as witches and wizards. He sees the woman referred to as the devil had a question-answer session with a girl. He snatches the girl away. He can’t believe what he saw in the bush and what he saw in the village. Finally, he goes to her wife and refuses to greet her. He chooses never to trust anyone in the village. He lives a life of bitterness and fear until his death.
In summary, the Young Goodman story is an allegory of the Christian movement in Faith. He is filled with curiosity to know the evil behind the woods that cost him his happiness for life. There he meets the evil and devil. He decides to hold onto his faith in God and overcome the sinful condition. When he finds his wife is involved in the thing, he loses trust in her and any other reasonable person. He dies an unhappy man as he gives up on Faith and in the Lord.