Blind Faith: Religous Symbolism in the Short Story "Young Goodman Brown."

Symbols are utilized as an enhancement tool to stress the theme of each story. In the story "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne uses the imagery of nature to develop the theme of appearance vs. reality. This is because the forest plays a role in exposing the reality that Goodman Brown rejects. He went in a deceived man and exits with a shocking new view. The majority of Hawthorne's symbols describe religion (both good and evil). Symbolism …

…name implies, the moral nature of Goodman Brown prevents him from seeing his community in a different light. His devotion to his own faith results in a harmful yield to reality. The use of nature by Hawthorne demonstrates the conflict between the worlds of fantasy versus the cruel nature of reality. The fantasy in the story is the faith of a sinless society; however, the reality is that sin is a part of human nature.