Young Goodman Browns I Lost My Faith
The story about Young Goodman Brown centers around the allegory of a man pitted against
his past and his desires to reach beyond that which his benighted heaven would put before him.
The allegory is Christian due to the references in Young Goodman Brown to the devil and
Satan. The beginning of the story mentions the goodman’s wife, Faith. “Faith kept me back
awhile,” replied the young man, with a tremor in his voice, caused by the sudden appearance of
his companion, though not wholly unexpected.”(stanza 12)
The man speaks in reference to his wife holding him back from his journeys. I see this as an underlying feeling of uncertainty questioned by his beliefs. “Poor Little Faith!” thought he, for his heart smote him (stanza 5).
The Faith for which goodman speaks seems, at first, to be thoughts about his wife. When read
a second time an underlying meaning renders visible. Young Goodman Brown could of been
speaking to his heart, his faith tested and how week it felt that moment. The goodman claims
that he is from a family of good men that have never been into the forest on such an errand to
meet the devil.
The goodman claims that he is from a family of good men that have never been
into the forest on such an errand to meet the devil. “But, where is Faith?” thought Goodman
Brown (stanza 57). He searches for his wife amongst the casted uncertainty of the fire and
doubts of those around him. This leads to Young Goodman Brown being described as a lunatic
who cannot discern his religious fanaticism from reality. And there they stood, the only pair, as
it seemed where yet hesitating on the verge of wickedness, in this dark world (stanza 66). This
may also symbolize Young Goodman Brown’s allegoric faith of Purity. The goodman Brown
was torn between what was dreams or what was reality. Although, no matter it dream or real
