Faith
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Since the beginning of time, man has had a history of turning away from good and embracing what is considered to be evil. Throughout history there have been men and women who have abandoned the promise of salvation through Christianity in favor of what is called Satanism. In Nathaniel Hawthornes, “Young Goodman Brown”, the title character is faced with a similar challenge. The story is set in the Massachusetts town of Salem, the site of horrific witch hunts. The story begins with Goodman Brown embarking on a mysterious journey against the wishes of his wife Faith. No mere coincidence, Faith, or the thought of faith has symbolic meaning throughout the story and is mentioned on numerous occasions for example when explaining his tardiness to the stranger he states that “Faith kept me back awhile (606)”. Before he departs Goodman Brown tells her to “say her prayers” and “no harm will come to thee.” This statement is a summary of his feelings about his own faith as well.
The character of Faith symbolizes everything that is good and pure in the world to Brown. This can be seen from the fact that Hawthorne mentions Faiths pink hair ribbons often in the story. The fact that they are pink in color can be seen as representing a form of feminine innocence as her name suggests. As the story begins, Goodman Brown is leaving his wife to take a trip into the forest. Fearing for her husband, Faith begs Brown not to leave causing him to be late for a meeting with the devil. It can be said that Browns “faith” made him late. While leaving Brown thinks to himself, “Well; shes a blessed angel on earth; and after this one night, Ill cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven.” (Pg. 134) This is an example of the dual meaning behind the name Faith, as he is thinking about his wife, but it also symbolizes the Puritan faith in following the teachings of Christ that lead one to heaven