In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman
Brown, Goodman Brown is symbolic of "everyman" or humankind in several
ways.
First, Brown believes that "what you see is what you
get." He never thinks to search beneath the surface of things, and takes everyone at
face value. When he finds that people in his community, as well as his own ancestors,
have been "in league with the devil," he is devastated. (It may not been that they
served the devil at all, but that they have "sinned" in
general.)
Believing the best of everyone to begin with is
not Brown's mistake, but it is found in his belief that others'
mistakes make them evil. Goodman Brown lacks faith in his
fellowman. His short-sightedness blinds him to the good that there
is in the people around him.
The
reader does not know if what Brown saw in the woods was a dream or not—once again,
however, he believes what he sees without
question. People have disappointed him because they are not perfect, and
unlike the precepts of his faith, he can find no way to forgive
them. He alienates himself from his wife as well as the rest of the
community.
Brown is hypocritcal. He judges Faith because of
what he believes he saw her doing in the forest; but what about
his journey? He walked along with the devil. He was at the black
mass as best as he can tell. Yte he comes home with no explanation
as to where he has been; however, Faith does not judge him or ask
any questions, but welcomes him with love.
Brown is
unChristian-like in his behavior as he rejects others—and he misses the point that Jesus
trafficked with sinners all the time, but Brown has no time for those who are imperfect.
Brown thinks that he is perfect. Had he paid attention to the
teachings of the Bible, which he is so quick to hold others to, he would remember
no man is perfect.
Hawthorne presents sin as an inescapable part of
human nature.
In the story,
Young Goodman Brown actually perceives that he is better than everyone else: other
people have sinned, but not he.
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