How the Story Young Goodman Brown Relates to My Real Life Experiences

¶ … real-life events relating to "Young Goodman Brown," by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN

Young Goodman Brown's journey is a classic tale of good vs. evil. Brown's journey consists of a nocturnal forest visit to resist the temptations of the devil. He must return to his village before sunrise.

Brown is unsure of himself, and fearful of his visit. When he first enters the forest, he's afraid of everything, looking for something evil behind every tree limb and rock. I have often felt the same way when I enter a room full of strangers. I am nervous of how I appear, and how I will sound as I talk with them, and I hope that they do not think badly of me.

When he meets a traveler who seems evil to him, and he resists the traveler's advances. I feel the same way when I do not know someone, and they make a rude remark, or seem unkind. I will stay away from them.

Brown feels strong and powerful, and that he can defy the evil in the forest, until they meet his childhood catechism teacher and he sees she has turned into something evil. When this happens he loses much of his confidence. I remember meeting someone I had known many years before, that I had always thought of as my friend, and I found out they really were not my friend at all. I lost all confidence in them, and in my ability to see people for what they really are. It took me a long time to trust some of my friends again.

Now as he continues through the forest, he looks for good and hope, but hears only strange howling voices. He does make it to the end of his journey, but he finds his fellow villagers enjoying Satanic acts. He loses all faith in the villagers, and in his ability to defy evil. The next morning he wakes up in the forest. He does not know if the events of the previous night are true, or dreams, but he believes them, and distrusts all the villagers, even his wife. He never really discovers what happened in the forest that night, but he believes his own thoughts more than the goodness of others. He dies a bitter and unhappy man, never regaining his good or trust of his fellow man.

Luckily, I discovered that I still have good friends in my life, who care about me. They are not like the friend that let me down, or the evil that Brown uncovers in the forest. I learned how to learn from my mistakes, and discover more about the people I feel close to, before I call them "friend." Brown does not learn from his mistakes, in fact, he allows them to ruin the rest of his life, and drive a wedge between his family, and the townspeople. Before, he only saw the good in those around him, and after his journey through the woods, all he could see was what he thought was evil.