Examining the Conflict of Good versus Evil in Young Goodman Brown Essay

Nathaniel Hawthornes short story entitled Young Goodman brown is about a man who takes his journeying to the forest to view a special congregationwithout knowing its real purpose in his life. Goodman brown, the narratives protagonist believes that his creed is constant, true, and immovable, but as he takes his journey to the forest, readers realize that the main characters faith is depthless. He creates evil thoughts throughout his journey, which makes his faith weaker, especially when he encounters the prayerful and vigilant sight of his society during his walk.As he grades into the forest to attend the congregation, the evil starts to shake his faith and begins to disrupt his beliefs. The conflict of good versus evil is depicted through Goodman brownishs unstable mind, inconsistent faith, and dis self-assertion to the sight around him. This conflict changes Goodman browneds idea of trust and faith, as well as his means of life and relationship to others, especially his wi fe.The conflict of good versus evil emerges through Goodman Browns unstable mind, but his wife, conviction, is trying to watch over his belief. When Young Goodman Brown is about to leave, his wife said Then God bless you And may you find all well when you come back (Hawthorne 190). Goodman Browns journey is for the benefit of evilthough he insists that it is for him and Faith, but his wife is trying to restrict him to continue his travel. However, even if Goodman Brown is blessed by his wife in his journey, he is aware of the evils existence and its power to hide and seek in the forest.While walking, he said There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree. What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow (191). The devilish Indians are symbolisms of evil in this figmentand due to his unstable mind, Goodman Brown is prone to evil thoughts. Even if he has faith and belief in his religion, Goodman Brown cannot stop himself from thinking about disconfirming thoughts because the evil is leading him to the devils congregation. Therefore, Goodman Browns unstable mind serves as the evils instrument to disrupt his faith.Conflict in the midst of good and evil exists when Goodman Brown begins his distrust to his community. As he thinks about the devil and his wife, Goodman Brown asked the traveler Friend, my mind is made up. Not another step will I budge on this errand. What if a wretched old woman do choose to go to the devil when I thought she was de classure to heaven is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith and go after her? (195) As Goodman Brown walks into the forest, he encounters different people taking their journey to the congregationthey are the prayerful and religious ones in the community.As he sees them, he begins to distrust them, which makes him think of going back to his wife. Goodman Brown does not know how to identify the difference between good and evil in the middle of his journey, so when he sees Faith into the congregation, he said My Faith is gone There is no good on earth and sin is but a name. Come, devil for to thee is this world given (197).Faith is not scarcely the protagonists wife, but also a symbolism of his belief in his religion. When he says his Faith is gone, it means that his faith to his community disappears because he believes that these people lives with the devil and not with their God. Goodman Brown fails to trust the people around him and think that they are evil because deep inside him, he is defending himself from being part of the devil.Goodman Brown experiences conflict of good versus evil due to his inconsistent faith. The forest is a symbolism of evil because there is no church had ever been pull together or solitary Christian prayed (196)and Goodman Brown takes this path as a sign of his union with the devil. Despite of his wifes disapproval, the protagonist continues his journey, which proves his inconsistent faith to his religion. When he is about to see the congregation and feel the evil spirit within his midst, the protagonist realizes that his faith is gone with him.As he tries to restore his faith, Goodman Brown shouted With heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil (196). The protagonist is trying to use his faith to economise him away from harm, but his soul is offered to the evil. Seeing his community being part of the congregation is a justification of his inconsistent faith because he does not trust anyone around him, even his faith that should only be his source of strength. As he demonstrates his inconsistent faith, his evil attacks his body, mind, and soul.Goodman Brown is a good man, but he fails to bring his faith in his journey to the forest. The conflict of good versus evil emerges when he decides to leave Faith and takes his journey alone. He leaves his faith in his dwelling house and thinks that he can overcome any obstacle in his path, but he is unsuccessful because unstable mind, inconsistent faith, and distrust to the people around him break down the instrument of evil to own his mind, body, and soul. As a result, Goodman Browns mind, body, and soul are eaten by the deviland no matter how he tries to keep his faith he cannot restore his belief because the evil lies within his wholeness.