Self-rejection and self-damnation in Young Goodman BrownIn "Young Goodman Brown", the protagonist of the story embarks on a metaphorical race in which he considers confronting the evil within itself. Not ready to accept this as part of his human nature, he rejects it, ultimately spelling his own doom. The fantastic spirit of young Goodman's journey is revealed early in the story, when he has a date with a mysterious individual and must leave his wife. , Faith, behind for the adventure. When he leaves, her “Faith” protests: “Please delay your journey,” she pleads, fearing that he will not return. This is the first element of the metaphor: Brown's spiritual, Christian self is in danger of being overwhelmed by this mission, revealing the introspective nature of the journey. Author Hawthorne later reaffirms this idea when Brown meets his eldest, who asks him why Brown is late for their meeting. “Faith held me back for a while,” he replies, admitting his initial hesitation. Although Goodman Brown is reluctant to undertake this spiritual journey without the security of his religious virtue, he must do it alone: ​​he cannot let the prejudices of his Christian upbringing create confusion. the true strength of his character, as he probably views this journey as a purification. “After this night,” he said of Faith, “I’m going to cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven.” He believes that he must first confront his demons to earn entry into the kingdom of God. When Brown encounters the shadowy figure with whom he planned his journey, Hawthorne makes it clear that the stranger is in some way a reflection of Goodman Brown: "the second traveler was about fifty years old, apparently in the same rank as Goodman B.. .... middle of paper... Hawthorne illustrates his comment when he asks Brown to meet Faith on his way to church: "she was skipping in the street, and almost kissed her husband in front of the whole village. But Goodman Brown looked her sternly and sadly in the face and left without a greeting. "In his righteousness, he turns his back on his own faith. Ultimately, he distances himself from God while trying to distance himself from evil. "the hour of death was dark"; his demand for absolute causes him to reject himself and damn his own soul. Hawthorne warns us not to make the same mistake, for "The devil in his own form is less hideous than when he rages in the breast of the." man "Works cited: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown. Literature: an introduction to reading and writing. 5th ed. Eds. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Upper Saddle Riva: Prentice Hall, 1988.