Young Goodman Brown AnalysisRude comments, road rage, jealousy, and the like; these are things that each of us encounters daily in our lives. Then you have to ask yourself: how often, and even just for a millisecond, do bad desires towards another enter your mind when these things happen? Do you act on these feelings? Obviously not; this is because you are capable of overcoming evil. This battle between good and evil in society is exactly what Nathaniel Hawthorne shows through a great deal of religious symbolism woven into his short story, Young Goodman Brown. Let's start with the forest. When young Goodman Brown leaves his wife Faith (more on her later), he ventures out on his unpleasant task and must travel through the forest. The first thing that stands out in the forest are the trees. The trees are described as those “that just stepped aside to let the narrow path pass” (449). This immediately brings to mind the old adage of the straight and narrow road, which was generally considered a moral and ethical means of conduct. Further reinforcing this feeling is the narrator's description of this path as “as lonely as possible” (449). The straight and narrow road is often described as lonely, because it is believed that most people will take the easiest route possible. In this light, the forest represents everything that is evil in this world or the path of sinners. As young Goodman Brown goes deeper into the forest, he wonders if he will encounter the devil himself (449). He connects with an older man, who tells him he's late. Young Goodman Brown responds that "faith held me a while" (450), further reinforcing the religious overtones. This man also has a staff described as having the "sim... middle of paper... through the forest". Now he looks at them in a different light (literally and figuratively). He comes to find Faith, the Faith that just the night before he clung to so tenderly, but because of the revelation of the sin of everyone in his life, he now sees it differently too. Young Goodman's faith isn't what it used to be. The narrator states that Young Goodman becomes dark and distrustful (455) of everyone around him and his religion until the end of his days. So, the symbolism here is how sin corrupts your faith, no matter how big or small it is. Nathaniel Hawthorne's use of symbolism in Young Goodman Brown is quite clear. The use of the forest outside of Salem, with the area's dark history revolving around witches, the use of faith serving a dual purpose, and the serpent-like staff, collectively produce a compelling story that any remotely religious person will can identify..