American Literature

Nathaniel Hawthornes short story, Young Goodman Brown, portrays a different side to Puritan society.  The most decorated and highly revered citizens of Salem are really of the devil and are in the midst of worshipping him.  This behavior is definitely against Puritan ideals.  Puritans considered themselves very religious people, and their whole lives surrounded God.  Everything they read, sang, or wrote had to be about God, so seeing them worship the devil breaks Goodman Brown.  The irony in the whole story is that Goodman Brown ends up turning away from God in the end.  The hypocrisy of the citizens, like Deacon Gookin, makes him doubt his life.  He tells his wife, Faith, to Look up to heaven, and resist the wicked one (Hawthorne, 1835, 13), yet Goodman does not do the same.  Plus, the names Goodman and Faith are ironic.  Goodman is no longer a good man to his wife or to Salem, and Faith does have faith but not with God.

Many of the godly citizens of Salem are evil worshippers.  Besides the deacon, the minister and even Goody Cloysthe elderly spiritual advisor.  The most prominent citizens are mixing themselves with criminals and lowlifes.  To Goodman, the more astonishing thing is that his father and grandfather were also a part of this secret society when they were alive.  They were good friends with the traveler, whom the narrator describes him as one of the serpent (Hawthorne, 1835, 3).

Young Goodman Brown is a powerful story because it does more than talk about Puritan life.  Hypocrisy exists throughout the world because people live behind masks.  Outsiders do not know what really goes on with the people they know because people have many faces, especially in church.  Just because someone proclaims a godly life does not mean they live one outside of church.  What people think and act in private may not match what others see.  People enjoy putting up a front and showing their good sides so people will admire them.