Good & Evil in Young Goodman Brown
Nathaniel Hawthorne on Guilt Versus Innocence
Critics of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s work often discuss the theme of guilt versus innocence in his writing. The reason is obvious; Hawthorne wrote about the Puritans, whose comprehension of the evil in humanity was second only to their condemnation of it.
Many of Hawthorne’s characters lived under the shadow of judgment. Some were guilty some were not but all were condemned. The world values innocence and purity. Hawthorne’s portrayal of comprehensive sinfulness, irremovable stains, deep darkness is at odds with what the world values and with what the world chooses to recognize as the human condition.
Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals this understanding explicitly in his short story Young Goodman Brown. In Young Goodman Brown, Hawthorne reveals a nuanced understanding of complex Calvinist doctrine. Including the first tenet of Calvinism, that of total depravity.
The Innocence of Faith
Goodman Brown’s wife Faith is introduced at the beginning of the story as a symbol of all that is pure and good. We meet Faith in the opening lines of the story. Goodman Brown is preparing to leave for an overnight journey and is exchanging a kiss with his wife Faith who is referred to as being “aptly named.” The sentence goes on to mention the pink ribbons in Faith’s cap. Some critics believe that the ribbons are symbolic of her feminine sexuality others feel that the ribbons represent her innocence.
Goodman Brown believes in his wife’s purity and hopes that after this errand, which he thinks would kill her if she knew of it, he can cling to her skirts all the way to heaven. In his internal dialog, Goodman Brown refers to Faith as a blessed angel on earth.
When he finally meets the devil, Goodman Brown excuses his tardiness by saying that “Faith kept me back awhile.” At this point, his wife becomes more a symbol than a flesh and blood wife. She is a symbol of what Goodman Brown believes is earthly purity and goodness, she also becomes an allegorical representation of Brown’s personal faith. Later in the story, when Brown believes that Faith has willingly joined the celebrants of the Black Mass he cries out “My Faith is gone' and embraces his dark side and hurries to join the gathering.
Everyman
Most critics agree that Brown was intended to be an everyman character in this story of lost faith. As an everyman character, the reader must assume that in Hawthorne’s eyes that Brown’s beliefs and actions must be considered the average response to what is evil and good in this world.
As a result, it is important that we analyze what it is that Hawthorne is presenting as the average. Because the pivotal point in the story is the Black Mass, it can be assumed that what everyman believes is most likely found before this important moment.
Brown believes that angels live on earth and that there are those who are good and pure and who can lift the fallen to heaven through their own virtue. Is that not what he finds in his own Faith? He thinks of her as the embodiment of Faith and purity whose own goodness will offset his sins.
However, like most people, Brown doesn’t believe in the guilt of everyman. As a result, his faith is shallow and is lost when he is confronted by the seeming sin of others (assuming what occurs that night is a dream rather than reality, which is not clear).
Calvinistic Guilt
Calvinism is the foundational theological structure on which the Puritan’s based their faith. Calvinism has five main points on which the entire system hangs. The first point in Calvinism is that of total depravity. The condition of total depravity states that because of Adam and Eve’s sin, people are conceived in sin and are born as depraved and sinful creatures (See Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer 7-8 to read a brief Calvinistic statement on depravity and find the biblical references which they use to support their belief).
The Calvinistic belief in the depravity of humans is seconded by the devil in Young Goodman Brown when he says that “Evil is the nature of mankind.”
Responding to the Recognition of Sin
When the devil prepares to baptize Faith and Goodman Brown, Brown cries out to Faith to “Look up to Heaven, and Resist the Wicked One.” Everything vanishes and the next morning, Brown wakes up alone in the forest. He makes his way home and sees only hypocrisy in everyone he meets on the way to his way to Faith.
Critics have often referred to this story as Hawthorne’s comment on Calvinism. Many critics feel that Hawthorne makes a commentary on election by having Brown believe that he can ride Faith’s skirts to heaven. While their arguments do have merit, it would seem that the story is more accurately seen as everyman’s response to the darkness that lives in every human – the darkness that Calvinists and Puritans would refer to as depravity.
The average human’s response to the statement that they are completely depraved is that of revulsion and complete denial, much like that of Goodman Brown. Brown’s story and response, however, does go beyond that of everyman. Brown learns to fear everyman because he cannot trust in the redemption of others and the resulting ability to do good. He acts as one who can find righteousness and sanctification only in himself and he is unable to trust that God performs the same work in others. As a result, he lives a life of fear and paranoia and dies, lonely and bitter.
Hawthorne’s Own Opinion
It is not safe to use a writer’s writing to draw conclusions regarding his beliefs. However, it is fair to say that Hawthorne understood Calvinism and the human condition and wrote very convincingly about guilt and innocence.
More about Nathaniel Hawthorne on Suite101.
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