Joan Easterly stated, "Nathaniel Hawthorne's, the master of symbolism and suggestion," which can surely be seen in Hawthorne's short story, "Young Goodman Brown" (Easterly 15). Hawthorne is known for writing short stories in the middle 1800's. Hawthorne lived in various places but always came back to his puritan roots, which had an environment that was heavily composed of the north; this could explain his short stories and their appeal of faith, sin and male immaturity. Hawthorne uses symbolism that can be perceived by each reader in different areas to include religion, nature and the male gender in Young Goodman Brown, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The religious symbols of "My love and my Faith" referring to both Faith, the wife; faith, the belief; and Faith's pink bows can be seen throughout Young Goodman Brown (Hawthorne 640). As Brown is leaving his home and wife of three months to venture to the forest at night, Brown mentions his faith and the pink ribbons. "something fluttered lightly down through the air and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon" (644). The "faith" he refers to here is thought to be faith, the act of believing. Then, a moment later in the woods Brown hears his wife's voice and shouts for her. Brown then sees the pink ribbon in the woods and states "My Faith is gone," (644). Again at the witch's meeting Brown's Faith appears and he cries "look up to heaven and resist the wicked one" (647). As Brown reaches home, Brown again sees Faith with her pink ribbons. His life has been altered for eternity and his belief in Faith, the wife; and Faith, the act of believing is in despair.
Hawthorne often wrote words serving multiple meanings in his short stories. In Young Goodman Brown, "Faith" is referring to both the wife and act of believing. Faith's pink ribbons are viewed many ways throughout the story, as critics interpret the symbol differently.
