Free YGB Essay - Internal Conflict in Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown:
Length: 490 words (1.8 pages)
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Young Goodman Brown: Internal Conflict
The central theme of Nathaniel Hawthorne?s ?Young Goodman Brown,?is the conflict in Goodman Brown between joining the ranks of the devil and remaining ?good.? It is a very difficult personal journey for Young Goodman Brown, as he travels through the woods to follow an inner desire to become a witch, all the while thinking on all of the ?good? things (like his wife Faith) he would be leaving behind. This internal conflict ultimately destroys the Young Goodman Brown and creates a new man.
Goodman Brown, a Puritan New Englander, in whatever way, and for whatever reason, made a deal with the Devil in the woods outside Salem. He knows that this is morally wrong, and especially when he leaves his pink-ribboned Faith, this puts him in a quandary. Brown must decide, before he becomes part of the Black Sabbath and engages in devil worship, if his true passion lies in the woods, the land of evil, or if it lies in the innocence, fresh naivete, and ?youth? he enjoyed in the village.
There are many examples in the text of this conflict. Brown laments about the loss of his Faith, a theme which permeates the tale. Also, Brown discusses his self-doubt after incidences such as his discovery of the ?true nature? of people such as Goody Cloyse, the governor, and village minister. Brown?s reluctance to take the Devil?s snake-staff illustrate his misgivings about becoming one of the Devil?s chosen. Even the setting of the winding, long, journey through the woods demonstrates indecision and conflict, as Goodman Brown has to spend a prolonged time considering his actions.
Young Goodman Brown?s personal conflict over his inner desires - and its greater meaning: conflict between good and evil in the world - is the center of the story. There would be no ?Young Goodman Brown? if not for the main character?s personal struggle to decide what he will do. This is indirectly evidenced by the fact that nearly all reviews in critical journals of this story focus on the idea that Goodman Brown?s struggle over his personal passions has greater meaning.
In the end, we can never be sure if good or evil won the fight waged within Young Goodman Brown, but Hawthorne makes it abundantly clear that Brown was scarred for life by his experience. After returning to Salem from that fateful night, Goodman Brown becomes cynical; he no longer has any faith in his fellow townspeople. He has lost his innocence; he has lost his faith. His self-isolation, relationship with his wife, and the inscription on his tombstone after he returned to Salem all show that the conflict had a profound effect on his life. This conflict is the theme of the story, and reflects on the society of the time. It was very important to the life of the main character, A great change took place in Young Goodman Brown, and it altered his ?private passion? forever.
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