The Dark Figure’s staff twisted or wriggled like a snake is black that is a color certainly associated with evil. The devil appeared as a serpent to allure Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Serpent-Shaped Staff is a symbol of evil and temptation, especially in the context of Christianity. To put it differently, the forest is the symbol of the world where all human beings are attracted by ungodly attractions. The trees encroach ominously and surround him, trapping him and blocking his retreat, and perhaps concealing enemies. “He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed immediately behind.” Young Goodman Brown takes a last look at the village and the destitute expression on his wife’s face before he turns the corner and begins his journey into the woods: The farther into the wilderness one goes, the further one is from the safety of town and neighbors. On the other hand, the woods are full of uncertainty and surprises. The dark, wild, and unpredictable forest is frequently associated with fear, menace, and evil. The Forest is a symbol of danger and uncertainty.

The short story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) is an allegorical one replete with symbols. In discussing literature, however, the term symbol is applied only to a word or phrase that signifies an object or event which in its turn signifies something or has a range of reference beyond itself. In a broad sense, a symbol is anything that signifies something. Question: Discuss the symbols of Young Goodman Brown.

Goodman brown