Assignment #5- Young Goodman Brown

What role does the guide play? Who does he look like? And why? How does the guide convince him to keep going? And who does he see along the way? What significance is placed on these people?

The guide in Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" plays the role of Satan. He possesses similar characteristics of Goodman Brown, but in an older frame. Hawthorne also notes, "And yet, though the elder person was as simply clad as the younger, and as simple in manner too, he had an indescribable air of one who knew the world." The similar looks might suggest there is evil in everyone deep down, much like when we discover that even members of Goodman Brown's family attended the witch meeting. The guide is very manipulative despite the young man's impressionable behavior. He doesn't put up a strong fight or question the guide too much before complying to his ways. Satan replies to Goodman Brown's questioning of the journey into the woods saying, "I have been well acquainted with your family... I helped your grandfather, the constable," along with his father. The young man assumes if his good, Christian family were associated with this man, maybe it is okay to continue. He simply responds, "If it be as thou sayest," takes the staff, and continues. During the journey, the travelers see the good, Christian woman, Good Cloyse, Deacon Gookin, and ultimately his wife Faith. These characters are significant because they have always represented moral goodness and innocence in Goodman Brown's life. I believe Faith is the most dominant example because she is the closest to his heart and the most bewildering to see immersed in evil. Hawthorne implies we cannot judge a book by its cover. Though these characters seen along the road appear good in appearance in nature, there is a little bit of evil to them all.