A Loss of Faith (Young Goodman Brown) - 1472 Words

A Loss of Faith The short story â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† functions as an allegory of the Biblical fall of man, from which Nathaniel Hawthorne draws to illustrate what he sees as the inherent fallibility and hypocrisy in American religion. Hawthorne sets up a story of a man who is tempted by the devil and succumbs because of his curiosity and the weakness of his faith. Throughout the story Goodman struggles, not only with his Faith in Religion but also, his faith in people. The characters (Goodman Brown and Faith) draw a connection to the story of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 3. Like Adam and Eve, Goodman and Faith fall prey to the temptations presented by the Devil. However, where we know that Adam and Eve both†¦show more content†¦And it was I that brought your father a pitch-pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to an Indian village, in King Philips War. They were my good friends, both; and many a pleasant walk have we had along this path, and retu rned merrily after midnight. I would fain be friends with you, for their sake. Brown argues this fact saying, â€Å"If it be as thou sayest, replied Goodman Brown, I marvel they never spoke of these matters. Or, verily, I marvel not, seeing that the least rumor of the sort would have driven them from New England. We are a people of prayer, and good works to boot, and abide no such wickedness.† To this the old man replies, Wickedness or not, I have a very general acquaintance here in New England. The deacons of many a church have drunk the communion wine with me; the selectmen, of divers towns, make me their chairman; and a majority of the Great and General Court are firm supporters of my interest. The governor and I, too--but these are state-secrets. When Brown sees Goody Cloyse, who taught him catechisms, she is an embodiment of evil, a witch. With this Brown feels a conflict within his mind and refuses to follow the elder and go back to his wife Faith. This indicates hi s endeavor to stay away from evil and keep faith in good. His confusion is compounded when he sees all the so-called good men like – the minister and deaconShow MoreRelatedEssay on Loss of Faith in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown1058 Words   |  5 PagesLoss of Faith in Young Goodman Brown      Ã‚   In the Bible, God commands Moses to go up Mount Sinai to receive divine instruction.  Ã‚  Ã‚   When he comes back, his people, the Israelites, have gone crazy.   They have forgotten Moses, and forgotten their God.   They form their own god, a golden calf, and build an altar.   They even had a festival for the golden calf.   Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and sat down to indulge in revelry (Exodus 32:6).   Moses then went down the mountain and got soRead More Essay on Loss of Faith in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown874 Words   |  4 Pages Young Goodman Brown:nbsp; Loss of Faith nbsp; Faith can be defined, as a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. 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