Monday, September 3, 2012

Young Goodman Brown Symbols

1. The staff: In the story, the staff is a symbol of a serpent and a serpent back in biblical times was of the devil and would lead people down bad paths such as Adam and Eve.

2. Pink Ribbons: Mr. Goodman's wife's pink ribbons were a symbol of innocence and purity. When they talked about them, it made you think she could do no harm to anyone.

3. The old man: He symbolizes the devil and trying to lead Goodman to hell with him. How he carries his staff and tries to discourage him in his thoughts.

4. The trees: They symbolized darkness, destruction and blindness. They blind Goodman Brown from what is really right in front of him and add darkness into his thoughts and decisions.

5. The Pious Woman: At first I thought she was just a distraction from the devil, but then I realized how she explains that the devil is in her midst and he tries to distract her as well.

6. Sound of horses: When Goodman Brown started to hear the sound of horses, he felt safe that he could hide behind them and get through the rest of the forest without feeling guily and bad inside.

7. Cloud: The cloud in this story symbolizes doubt and hopelessness. When Mr. Brown looked up to pray to the heavens, a cloud blocked his view and filled his heart with doubt and no hope.

8. Forest Voices: Symbolize depressing and antagonizing words. Mr. Brown started hearing pious and ungodly voices talking in the forest that made his wife doubt God and go toward the devil.

9. The Rock that Arose: Is like a pulpit or alter that is conflicting Brown to either go towards the alter or keep walking and ignore it and the people that were there and then dissapeared.

10. Unhallowed Alter: Symbols unholiness and wickedness. When Goodman Brown and his wife were in front of it, they became faint and unsure of whether to choose heaven or hell.

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