The Symbolism Of Faith In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

In the short story, “Young Goodman Brown”, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to prove the inherent danger in abandoning one's Christian faith, even for one evening. In the first paragraph, the reader finds out that Young Goodman Brown lives in a small religious town with his “young wife” Faith. Faith is a symbol for Goodman Brown’s religious beliefs and therefore, the evolution of his faith. By specifically stating how youthful Faith is, it creates the idea that while Goodman Brown was raised around religion, his faith is still young and vulnerable. As Goodman Brown gets ready to depart on his journey, Faith tries to prevent him from leaving. Brown tries to justify his leaving by stating “I'll cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven”.