When Faith is not faith Hawthorne believed every human being has some secret evil existing inside. In “Young Goodman Brown”, Goodman’s loyalty to God collapsed step by step. But how was this collapse displayed by Hawthorne? It was Faith. In the whole process, Faith was mentioned by Goodman again and again. His changing attitude towards Faith changing indicated his changing attitude towards God.
This short story can be divided into several parts. After leaving home, Goodman said “poor little Faith… she’s a blessed angel on earth…follow her to Heaven.” In this place, we can see that he had no doubt there is Heaven in the world. When he entered the deep dark forest, in fact, the road to evil, and met his companion, he still hesitated whether go forward or not. “There is my wife, Faith, it would break her dear little heart; and I’d rather break my own.” these words show that Goodman was resisting being not pious to God. He didn’t want to betray God. After seeing Goody Cloyse who had taught him catechism, he decided to stop though his companion discoursed his arguments aptly because he didn’t want to quit Faith to see the devil. This showed that Goodman struggled violently inside, but his reason still took the upper hand. Then he thought himself “so purely and weetly now, in the arms of Faith.” Was he so pure? Of course not, in fact, he has been influenced by his companion deeply and already wavered. Although he said “with heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil”, his loyalty collapsed after hearing the voice of Faith and seizing her pink ribbon. He said “my Faith is gone.” This sentence is a pun. On one hand, it means “his wife Faith is gone”, on the other hand, it stands for “his faith to God is gone” because “there is no good on earth; and sin but a name.” Before the unhallowed altar, Goodman cried out with all his strength “Faith! Faith! Look up to Heaven, and resist the wicked one.” He wanted call back his belief to god. Actually in his heart, he himself hasn’t believed there is Heaven in the world. How can these words convince Faith and he himself?
No matter it is a dream or not, young Goodman Brown changed. He didn’t trust anybody, including his wife. He “l(fā)ooked sternly and sadly into her (Faith) face, and passed on without a greeting.” “Shrank from the bosom of Faith” “gazed sternly at his wife.” His attitude towards his “poor” love Faith has changed, actually his hope to God and Heaven has disappeared. When Faith is not faith, there is no hope, there is only despair left.
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