The Changing Faith

?The Changing Faith?

The story, ?Young Goodman Brown?, by Nathaniel Hawthorne was in fact a very mysterious and pleasurable story to read. The main character, Goodman Brown, is faced to deal with the true colors of the town?s people and his own family as the devil described and showed to him. He then comes very confused and unconfident in his faith. Because of the meeting with the devil, Goodman Brown faces a change of faith in his family, the town?s people, and himself.

Goodman Brown was a good man. He is a very known in the village of Salem. His wife, Faith is a very compelling and loving woman. His faith of his lovely wife then changes after he finds her pink ribbon hanging on a branch of a tree. By Brown then states, ?Faith!...look up to heaven, and resist the wicked one? (pg 238), proves that his Faith too was wick Goodman Brown believes that all the people in the town are good people. Brown?s faith in them shows great confidence, but it all changes after his meeting with the devil. In the woods Brown states that, ?My father never went into the woods in such an errand? (pg 233), verifying that he was the only one in his family that took that journey. He also states that his family was, ?? a race of honest men and good Christians since the days of the martyrs? (pg 233). When Goodman Brown tells the devil that his family was good people, the devil stated that, ?I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman?it was I that brought your father a pitch-pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to an Indian village? (pg 233). This led Goodman Brown into a state of confusion and his faith was challenged.

?Where there is good there is always evil? (RH). Later as they walk, Brown sees his catechism teacher, but the devil shows him her true colors. By the woman stating that, ?... my broomstick hath strangely disappeared, stolen, as I suspect, by that unhanged witch, Goody Cory. And that, too, when I was anointed with the juice of smallage, and cinquefoil, and wolf?s bane? (pg 234), verified that she was a wicked witch. The devil also told him about the town people. For instance, the deacons who got drunk off the communion wine. While in the woods, Brown overheard two men, which appeared to be the deacon and minister of the church, talking about the unclean crimes that they have involved in. This proved that even the purest people a town could be wicked.

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