Faith in Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown Page: Faith

The story of Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne begins with the introduction of the two main characters, Young Goodman Brown (obviously) and his wife, Faith. Their names are both symbolic. Brown’s youth and good nature are embodied in his name. The emphasis on his youth indicates that he is virtuous and untainted. “Faith, as the wife was aptly named,” insinuates that Brown’s wife represents the tenderness that is found in a young wife (Bressler 239). Brown’s decision to marry Faith exemplifies that he grasps onto a faith in good in the world. Ultimately, to Brown, Faith personifies all that is right and pure in the world. She symbolizes Heaven.

On the other hand, Hawthorne writes, “Faith, as the wife was aptly named, thrust her own pretty head into the street, letting the wind play with the pink ribbons on her cap, while she called to Goodman Brown (Bressler 239).” Most readers would probably associate the pink ribbons with Faith’s innocence and when she loses the said ribbons, leading to Brown finding them on the ground, it signifies her loss of innocence. However, I think that one of the themes of Hawthorne's story is that there is sin in all of us, no matter how pious we are on the outside. This is what Brown realizes in his trip (or dream) to visit the devil. Even though these people have claimed salvation, Satan still rules their flesh. 

Therefore, the pink ribbons – rather than symbolizing purity (they would have been white if that were the case) – symbolize the mixture of good and evil (with white for good and the red of Satan for evil) in all of us, including Faith. They, I think, also symbolized the uncertainty of

Brown's faith so that when he found them on the ground they represented his loss of faith, as well as Faith's apparent abandonment of the good half of her for the pure evil of Satan. The fact that the ribbons are in Faith's hair upon his return would signify that she rejected Satan's total...