He also questions and how far faith can take us and the limitations of the human belief system. By showing how his characters respond to these situations, and how these behaviors led to ruin, Hawthorne is showing the readers what they can do to avoid a similar fate.
Untold Sins and True Faith
This idea of untold sins that haunt the heart is seen in “Young Goodman Brown.” At the beginning of the story, Young Goodman Brown was just married, apparently very naïve (as seen by his discovery of sin in people whom he had once seemingly perceived as very pious), but goodhearted. His young wife Faith, who also represents Brown’s actual faith in God, is left behind by Brown only a few months after the wedding, despite the fact that he felt like a “wretch.”
He wandered away from his new wife and away from his faith even when he felt dreadful about it. Sin had tempted him, and at this point he feels strong enough to face it head-on. What he finds, however, is that his faith and love were new, and not strong enough to resist such temptations.
After discovering that the most pious people he knew (including his wife and himself), had also given into sin, he was so disillusioned that he fell apart. After leaving his faith, he could not bear his own disgrace, nor could he handle the disgrace of those around him. He discovered all at once that all people sin. His lack of acceptance, and his unwillingness to face these demons led him to become “a stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man.”
Disillusionment in Faith
He shows this concept again in “Young Goodman Brown” when Brown is reluctant to leave home, and continually feels the urge to return there. At one point, he even tells the traveler that “not another step will I budge on this errand. What if a wretched old woman do choose to go to the devil, when I thought she was going to Heaven! Is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith and go after her?”
But by this time, the damage is done. He has already tossed his Faith to the wind, and her (its) innocence is compromised: “My Faith is gone!” he cries when he sees her with the sinful company. Hawthorne is warning all to beware of temptation and to not become overly confidant in faith, because one may feel secure in their faith, but can easily loose footing. This can be difficult or even impossible to recover from, such as in Brown’s case.
Redemption as a Religious and Practical Tool
By portraying the truth of these matters through interesting and colorful narratives, Hawthorne seamlessly weaves together entertainment and education. Hawthorne’s narratives of rising above sin and letting oneself receive redemption is relevant on both a religious and a practical level. In the end, perhaps he did end up achieving his goal, and saved at least a few poor sinners from following the solemn trails of his unfortunate characters.
A similar theme can be seen in Hawthorne’s short story “Roger Malvin’s Burial.”
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