Monday, September 18, 2017

What sins are the various characters Goodman Brown meets in the woods guilty of committing?

The overarching sin that the people Goodman Brown meets in the woods are guilty of is worshipping Satan. Goodman Brown finds them all attending or en route to attending a Black Mass.
Because many of these people, such as Goodye Cloyse, the minister, and Deacon Gookin, have posed as pious Christians, they are guilty of hypocrisy, which is pretending to be what you are not. Rather than living lives of goodness and sacrifice to others, full of love and charity, they have sold their souls to the devil in return for personal gain on earth. Faith, too, is a devil worshipper. Goodman Brown believed she was sexually pure and faithful to him, but she participates in a Walpurgis Night orgy.
It is unclear if what Goodman Brown witnessed really happened or was a dream. Whatever the case, all humans are mixes of good and evil, a fact Goodman Brown finds difficult to deal with. The story can be interpreted as Goodman Brown making a poor entrance into maturity, which forces all of us to come to terms with imperfections in the people we once looked up to as perfect.


Goodman Brown’s walk through the mysterious forest outside Salem village can be interpreted two ways: a dream sequence or a revelation. Either way, Goodman Brown sees various pious Christian figures in the woods engaging in Satanic worship and rituals.
The minister and Deacon Gookin are, of course, guilty of blasphemy and hypocrisy. Both men are leaders in the community that preach fervently in favor of Christ. In the woods, however, both are devoted followers of the devil. Therefore, their sermons and religious dealings in town are false, which is a form of blasphemy.
Goody Cloyse is also guilty of blasphemy since she is the holy woman who taught Goodman Brown his catechism. In addition, Cloyse is guilty of witchcraft—as indicated by her losing her broom.
Goodman Brown notices at the unholy meeting the faces of not only these supposedly moral characters but also those of the village pariahs. Drunkards, revelers, and harlots are among the “chaste” and outwardly moral.
It is also implied that Faith, Goodman Brown’s wife, is guilty of falling for temptation. When he cries out to resist the wicked one, Goodman Brown doesn’t know whether his wife does the same.
Overall, the biggest sin committed by all is that of selfishness. In his speech before the group, the Satanic figure discusses the various ways he has helped the villagers get what they wanted—at the expense of their souls. This is emblematic of the sin of pride, since putting oneself before God is the ultimate act of narcissism.

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