The story begins with the homey air of a village at sunset where a recently married couple says such heartbreaking goodbye that the only destination coming to mind for the man’s journey is of some purely religious origins. See an example: “ ‘My love and my Faith,’ replied young Goodman Brown, ‘of all nights in the year this one must I tarry from thee…’ ” But as soon as they part and the man gets out of her sight, the story takes up a theme of horror and evil using words such as “wretch”, “evil purpose”, and describing scenes like “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.” , and the quoting Goodman Brown’s monologues in the forest where, for example, he says: “what if the devil himself should be at my very elbow!”. At the point where he meets his companion, the pious theme of the story is evaded completely at the ambiguous line by Goodman as the reason for his delay to his companion, he says: “Faith kept me back awhile.” as if this is a journey in which ‘faith’ has nothing to do. There comes magic to be added to the theme of the story as the reader is given a snakelike description of the old man’s staff and its ability to increase Goodman’s speed. At the same time, the young man cannot trust his companion and despises of him and their destination. Here on, the remains of the man’s faith shatter into pieces when first he sees the pious old lady who even had taught him his catechism in youth walking to the same destination and later as he had receded from his intention he hears the minister and Deacon Gookin going to the same gathering as well. He wishes to fight all the devil: “With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will stand firm against the devil.” but he sees a figure resembling his wife going to the same devil gathering and that is the last straw. Here magic comes to be the major part of the theme, then come horror and evil again. And the story adds to its horror at the devil baptism. When he goes back to the village, the overshadowing theme is bewilderment and misanthropy. Although he lives a long life, it is a gloomy life that he lives.
To wrap it up, this is a story of fear and religious bewilderment which is like a vortex. As soon as one is into it, no craft can get one out of it. The only destiny is to sink in more and more; just like the Young Goodman Brown’s.
