Theme Essay Boot Camp

Jezebel

Per. 3

Faith Lost

The loss of a person’s faith can lead to isolation and cynicalness as displayed by Goodman Brown in the short story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The theme is composed by the thrusting of the protagonist into an unfamiliar location where he is first alone and tempted, then he is shown the good faithul people of his town performing a ritual that defies everything he knows of his neighbors; thus, when he comes back into the village having lost his faith he can no longer look his nieghbors in the eye and becomes a “distrustful” man. Young Goodman Brown encounters a companion who serves to him a symbol of temptation who the author utilizes to implant doubt in the mind of Goodman Brown. Once Goodman Brown has lost his faith, he has all the reason to be bitter and distrustful and none to be good-natured.

Goodman Brown is a religious and faithful man surrounded by pious people. He has never strayed as he tells his companion he will not be the one to take “this path”, that he “abides no such wickedness”. His companion serves to tell him he is “well acquainted” with Goodman Brown’s family and they have all taken many a “pleasant walk” through the path he refuses to take. Goodman Brown acquiesces eventually as his faith takes the ultimate dive. He sees many people of his town gathering to perform a ritual. If even his catechism teacher is using “wolfbane” and the “fat of a new born babe” to anoint herself with and is proclaimed the friend of the “devil”, Goodman Brown has no reason to trust anyone. His mind is distorted by the image of his friends committing sin. Yet, if all his neighbors are faithful and religious and they commit sin then Goodman Brown has no reason to view them as pious and just people, merely hypocrites. Goodman Brown is changed by the test given to his faith that he does not pass.

Goodman Brown is seen coming into the village and the imagery describing his actions portray a an isolated and cynical man. When his minister bestows a blessing upon him, he “shrank” from the “venerable saint” and wonders aloud “what God doth the wizard pray to” in reference to Deacon Goodkin praying. Goodman Brown even passes his wife “without a greeting”. He is physically distancing himself from the rest of the village which in turn leads to isolation. Goodman Brown was no longer the optimistic and cheerful man in the beginning of the story who would “cling” to his wife’s skirt and “follow her to heaven”. Goodman Brown now questions God indicating the loss of his faith. Goodman Brown is “a distrustful” man, where blessings and preaching cannot enter his ear “because an anthem of sin” reaches it instead.

The author shows Goodman Brown as a religious man so the doubts for his religion would be considered a poignant moment in his life. Even though what the protagonist saw in the story was just a “fearful dream”, the dream was fearful enough for him to lose his faith. The loss of his faith then distances him from his town and congregation because he no longer believes in God and sees no reason to consort with the faithful people of his town. He becomes an isolated and cynical man in the end, where not even a “hopeful verse” was carved on his tombstone, “for his dying hour was gloom.”