Skip to main content

Why is Goodman Brown surprised by the people he sees in the forest?

As he travels with the old man who resembles his grandfather, Goodman Brown is surprised to see the highly esteemed members of the Puritan community. As he walks on a path leading deeper into the forest primeval, his faith is shaken when he recognizes Goody Cloyse, a "Christian woman" who was his catechism teacher, along with Deacon Gookin and the minister.


Goodman Brown is shaken by his encounter with Goody Cloyse, who is well-acquainted with...

As he travels with the old man who resembles his grandfather, Goodman Brown is surprised to see the highly esteemed members of the Puritan community. As he walks on a path leading deeper into the forest primeval, his faith is shaken when he recognizes Goody Cloyse, a "Christian woman" who was his catechism teacher, along with Deacon Gookin and the minister.


Goodman Brown is shaken by his encounter with Goody Cloyse, who is well-acquainted with the Goodman's companion—the Devil disguised in the likeness of Goodman's grandfather. Goodman wonders how Goody would be familiar with this man, since she represents the precepts of Puritan faith and what Goodman has considered good and pure. Then, as he continues along the path, Brown recognizes the voices of Deacon Gookin and the minister. They eagerly speak of the Black Sabbath that they will attend and of the "goodly young woman to be taken into communion."



"With heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!" cried Goodman Brown.



Shaken by the sight of those members of his community he has known to be "famous for their special sanctity," Goodman Brown's beliefs are destroyed when he witnesses their association with the wicked as they pay homage to the "prince of all." Nevertheless, he feels "a loathful brotherhood by the sympathy of what was wicked in his heart." Then, seeing his wife, Faith, Goodman calls out to her to "resist the wicked one."


After calling to Faith, Goodman Brown suddenly finds himself alone in the forest. Perhaps he has "fallen asleep and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch meeting." At any rate, Brown has lost his belief in the goodness of man, and he lives the remainder of his life in a "misery unutterable" because he has found the Puritan faith corruptible in people he previously considered good Christians.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...