The popular short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne “Young Goodman Brown”, which is a favorite among readers, evokes mystery and intrigue for a number of reasons. “Young Goodman Brown’s” nocturnal journey is the subject of many questions, and there are many interpretations of what happened. Who was Goodman Brown’s real encounter in the forest with? Was the experience he had in the forest real or a nightmare? The story’s form is based on this ambiguity. Hawthorne purposefully creates confusion in “Young Goodman Brown”, with its forest setting which encourages optical illusions.
The unsettling setting is a prominent feature of “Young Goodman Brown”. It plays an important role in the ambiguity that the story presents. Goodman Brown’s dark, eerie forest journey at night is the beginning of the uncertainty that will haunt him for the rest his life. The thick, dark forest is a kind of veil that keeps the reader from knowing the truth about what Goodman Brown sees. The narrator explains, “The traveling man does not know what may be hidden behind the dense boughs and the many trunks that cover the sky; so with his alone footsteps he is passing through an unknown multitude” (610). Hawthorne makes it clear to the reader that doubt is a major theme in the story from the moment Brown walks into the forest. The narrator adds that the “uncertainlight” can lead to “ocular confusion” (614). This statement can be used as a basis for the reader to disbelieve the truth of what happened that night. Brown’s senses are also used to create ambiguity in the story by detecting figures and happenings. “He would have thought…he knew the voices” (614). Brown is never able to see the figures clearly, even when he seems certain that they exist. He cannot see his townpeople because of the darkness and forest growth. Hawthorne places the tale deliberately in the depths and darkness of the forest. The setting creates doubts and illusions in Brown, as well as in the reader. Hawthorne has also created ambiguity in his descriptions of Brown’s encounters with characters. The narrator uses the word “figure” to describe the characters Brown encounters. The word “figure”, however, is used to describe a representation and not the thing or person in question. Hawthorne uses the word “visage” to describe the characters Brown encounters along the way. This term implies that the person is merely an appearance, not the real person.
Hawthorne uses his descriptions to intentionally elicit questions from readers. Brown’s first meeting with his travelling companion is another example of a questionable account. Brown’s question, “What would happen if the Devil himself were at my elbow?” is answered by a mysterious figure (611). Brown’s first question before the arrival of his travel companion makes the reader wonder if it is really the devil. Although the narrator doesn’t confirm that fact. The narrator mentions that Brown’s question preceded the appearance of his traveling companion, which leads to readers wondering if this figure is indeed the devil. However, this fact was never confirmed by him. Goody Cloyse affirms that Goodman Brown, Brown’s father in disguise, is the traveling companion (613). Hawthorne suggests that Goodman Brown is the father of the devil. Readers cannot be sure. The constant use language like “might”,’may yet” and “as-if” blurs further the line between real and fantasy. It is also a part of Hawthorne’s formula. This deliberate use qualifies and conditions language is evident throughout the entire story. The narrator, as well Brown, both doubt themselves and lead to the reader questioning the events.
The narrator expresses his doubt about the story’s events directly, just as the description of events in the woods evokes uncertainty in the reader. In the text, Goodman Brown is repeatedly questioned, which confuses the readers. The narrator asks Brown, when he hears the voices, “Where, then, can these holy men journey so deeply into the heathen desert?” (614). The narrator asks Brown, “Was that his mother?” when he detects a woman urging him to turn back during the black Mass. (617). The narrator then asks, “Had Goodman Brown dreamt of a witch meeting and fallen asleep in a forest?” (618). The reader is led to doubt the story’s validity by this series of questions and others throughout the text. Hawthorne sprinkles the questions throughout his story to make you question the validity of the whole tale.
Brown, Brown’s reader and Brown himself all question whether or not Brown’s night was real. At the end of this story, however, it is obvious that Brown has been affected by his experience, no matter if the events were real. The narrator asks whether it was a nightmare or not. He then says, “Beit so if you want.” But alas! The dream was an omen of doom for the young Brown. From that night, the young man became “a stern…man…a sad…man…darkly meditative” (618). The narrator claims that his real effects from the night included a distant connection with his wife and children as well as a gloomy community. Brown’s perception of reality is a lasting one, even though Hawthorne deliberately ambiguous the story. The reader becomes suspicious and questions the validity.
Hawthorne allows the reader to actively ask questions about the story, even though the protagonist seems to be convinced of its reality. In “Young Goodman Brown”, he combines many elements to create a mysterious atmosphere. Hawthorne uses ambiguity to create a sense of mystery in “Young Goodman Brown”. The forest setting, which camouflages the characters, the language that suggests possible double meanings and the narrator, who appears to be uncertain of what is happening, are examples. The reader is able to see the true impact of the events on Brown, and this leads him or her to question their own concepts of reality and imagination.