Internal Struggles of Good and Evil in "Young Goodman Brown"

WBozeman 1 Marie Bozeman Dr. Tom Frazier  ENGL 132 English Composition 2 Oto!er 1"th# 2$1" %nternal &tr'ggles o( Goo) an) E*il in +,o'ng Goo)man Bro-n  Nathaniel /a-thorne -rites the short stor0 +,o'ng +,o'ng Goo)man Bro-n to eamine the internal str'ggle o( a 0o'ng man to retain !elie( an) (aith in the goo) in the -orl) amongst the )iso*er0 o( e*il in the -orl). /a-thorne  arries a thir)person narrati*e persona (or the length o( the stor0# -ith a )0nami protagonist to esta!lish the allegorial treatment o( innoene an) sin. /a-thorne# -ith an e'all0 horri(ie) an) a) miring impression o( the -ith trials# mo)ele) s'pporting haraters a(ter his o-n anestors an) the 4-ithes5 that his anestors ha) 'n6'stl0  p'nishe). ,o'ng ,o'ng Goo)man Bro-n# the representation representation o( 0o'th an) -orl)l0 innoene# -ith  !elie( in people an) (aith in Go)# !i)s (are-ell to his aptl0 name) -i(e# Faith# !e(ore tra*ersing tra*ersing into the )ar7 (orests o( &alem -here he is teste) !0 the people he omes aross. 8s the 6o'rne0 goes on# the sener0 !eomes sarier an) the path more hallenging# gro-ing his anger an) )istr'st in the s'ppose) 4p're an) goo)5 people !e(ore (inall0 !eoming on*ine) that there is nothing !'t !lasphem0 an) e*il all aro'n) him. /a-thorne 7no-le)gea!l0 'ses the setting o( 19th Cent'r0 &alem )'ring the time o( o ( :'ritan etremism an) the -ith trials to e*o7e introspetion -ith its harateristi (ormal tone. The stor0 is set in t-o )i((erent loations thro'gho't# initiall0 starting in the it0 o( &alem an) mo*ing on-ar) to the -oo)s !e(ore ret'rning to &alem. &alem represents the o'ter appearan e o( !lasphemo's p'rit0 an) the -oo)s -o o)s s0m!oliall0 re*eal the e*il insi)e o( them.

WBozeman 2 %n the !eginning o( the stor0# Goo)man Bro-n5s -i(e# Faith# implores him to sta0. Faith -or7s as the image or representation o( Bro-n5s onsiene an) his o-n personal (aith an) on*ition in Go). B0 s'ggesting that Faith +4sa0 th0 pra0ers; an) go to !e) at )'s7# an) no harm -ill ome to thee5 ?# Bro-n is attempting to ser*e Go) an) his :'ritan religion -hile entertaining his )esire to in)'lge in his 'riosit0 an) (in) -hat the )e*il has to o((er. 8lso -ith the !elie( that he -o'l) onl0 ma7e the 6o'rne0 into the -oo)s an) ne*er !e hange)# +Goo)man Bro-n (elt himsel( 6'sti(ie) in ma7ing more haste on his present e*il p'rpose ?. There(ore# -ith (ear an) -ariness# Bro-n *ent'res into the -oo)s an) eno'nters his ompara!l0 sna7eli7e ompanion# -ith a sta(( +-hih !ore the li7eness o( a great !la7 sna7e# so 'rio'sl0 -ro'ght that it might almost !e seen to t-ist an) -riggle itsel( li7e a li*ing serpent