The village of Salem represents evil since it was a colonial town in American History, which was famous for its witch trials. ... The pink ribbon that Faith has on her cap represents her purity. The ribbon is pink because pink represents innocence and happiness. ... The staff is shaped into a serpent, which represents the devil. ... Since Goodman Brown is Christian, he repels evil and since the staff represents evil, Goodman Brown cannot tolerate touching it. ...

• Word Count: 1921
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

TO BE EVIL OR NOT TO BE IS THAT THE QUESTION? ... "Goodman" seems to imply that he represents all that is good in man. ... This creed leads Brown into the dark forest to confront evil. ... "Having refused to look at evil, he is left in a state of moral uncertainty that is worse, in a way, than evil itself" (Adams 165). ... The staff represents the snake in the Garden of Eden that led Adam and Eve to their subsequent exile. ...

• Word Count: 1393
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

It is the epitome of Hawthorne's mental struggle with good and evil. ... The story itself represents a journey that every man must face, the journey through life and the temptation of evil. ... Goodman Brown's wife, Faith, represents his faith in God or a higher power. ... Snakes can be associated with evil and sneakiness. ... She represented a betrayal in Goodman's beliefs. ...

• Word Count: 534
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

This man leads Brown to a group of people worshiping evil. ... This reveals Hawthorne's belief that all people are prone to evil and have committed sin. ... This means that his characters and ideas are like a double edged sword, they represent itself, as well as a deeper meaning.  ... In this short story, the old man in the forest, quoted in the story as, "he of the serpent," represents a man, but also represents the devil. Also, the forest, "dark and the gloomiest trees," represents evil and possibly even hell. ...

• Word Count: 676
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The tenet of evil is the belief that evil is an important part of the world, and that it should be described and understood. Within evil there is grotesque, which is the fascination with extreme evil, which is often expressed in particularly gruesome or horrifying manner. ... This represents evilness towards his cat because Poe is not using this name in a good sense but instead in a bad sense. ... The walking stick represents the evil that young Goodman brown is so close to being part of, when he is offered the stick. The author portrays evil when he says that there are "burning pines" at the ...

• Word Count: 750
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

As Young Goodman Brown says on page 81 paragraph five, "Faith kept me back awhile." representing that his faith in God may have kept him from a conversation with the devil. ... But in the deep forest, there are no churches, representing the lack of faith and religion in the area. ... The darkness and dreariness symbolize the evil that lurks in the forest. ... Brown's rejection of the staff symbolizes Brown's reluctance to succumb to the evil in the world. ... The staff symbolizes a tool of evil, and Brown's accepting it represents his beginning to accept the evil in his world. ...

• Word Count: 859
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

All the elements of this story represent abstract ideas far beyond their literal meanings. Hawthorn uses symbolism to convey the loss of innocence and the realization that evil exists all around Goodman Brown. ... The village of Salem itself represents the goodness in Mr. ... The forest then represents the evil, so nearby his whole life, but that he never before dared to explore. ... Brown believes he should not be here amongst all this evil, he feels it is acceptable as he certainly could not be alone. ...

• Word Count: 704
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

It represents a glimmer of happiness outside the grim, ugly walls and heavy oaken door of the prison. ... Hester's A transforms from an evil, wicked stigma, into a sign of respect among her fellow citizens. ... Finally, Hawthorne chooses a person to represent all which is evil in the book. ... So consumed by evil near the end of the book, he admits to Hester that Satan is using him as a tool to commit evil acts. ... The rosebush to show love and hope, the letter itself to show hatred, grief, and respect, Pearl to show salvation, integrity, and pride, and finally Chillingsworth, to sho...

• Word Count: 777
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The situations presented in the novel either have a light side, thus meaning good, or an evil darker side. ... The use of light and dark is frequently used to represent good and evil, in the novel The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. ... It is this obsession that makes him so evil or dark. ... The main location represented with darkness is the gloomy forest. ... The use of light and dark is used to represent good and evil, which in turn sets the mood and setting for the story. ...

• Word Count: 1649
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Red most obviously represents Hester's sin, as shown by her scarlet letter. ... Black is used to represent evil and hiding. ... Hawthorne explains black weeds growing from a sinner's grave as evil coming out and dying. ... Black is used to symbolize the worst and most evil part of an object or person. ... Darkness represents a poor state with self-denial, as well as representing simple evil. ...

• Word Count: 1044
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Hawthorne expresses the good and evil accompanied with human nature and how it not only effects the individual, but how it is reflected in society. ... The Puritan members of society do everything in their power to ostracize, and punish the evil doers, but Hester experiences more freedom when she is isolated, which is exactly opposite of what is intended. ... The rosebush next to the dark prison door represents the classic "light at the end of the tunnel" theme. The rosebush represents so many different things; purity, optimism, and the ability of nature to endure and outlast man's activ...

• Word Count: 579
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

This represents the boys' "bad character-. ... Many times red is seen as sin and evil, while white is viewed as pure and innocent. ... The title of each of the stories is representing the types of characters included. ... This represents the true character of human nature when met by evil and sin. ... These stories tell us that evil can be observed everywhere. ...

• Word Count: 682
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The color black is an obvious allusion to several facets of the above hypothesis: black represents evil, of which we all, as humans, must fight; black represents death, which, in a manner of speaking, we are all dead until, according to the Christian way of looking at things, "born again,"" in a belief in Christ as savior. ... Hooper, the minister in this story, makes the point that all men "even ministers "are sinners or afflicted with evil or fallen, etc., when he says that "I , perhaps, like most other mortals, have sorrows dark enough to be typified by a black veil- (635). ...

• Word Count: 288
• Approx Pages: 1

The traveler with the serpentine staff represents the devil and Goodman Brown's temptation to sin. ... In literature, a snake often represents evil or the devil. ... After he shows Brown all of the townspeople, the traveler says, "Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. ... Young Goodman Brown represents any and all of mankind; he is a symbol for an ordinary church goer. ...

• Word Count: 714
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Faith his wife kept him back because she was cautious of him going and she was keeping him from evil. Now that he has left Faiths side there is no one to save him from being vulnerable to the evil that is surrounding him or giving in to his tasteful temptations. ... Goody Cloyse was a pious teacher of the catechism and Deacon Goody was the pastor, one who now represents the destruction of the church in this community. ... Once again Brown means this figuratively and literally, he has seen all the evils and sins of people on this night he has completely lost his faith in humanity and the commun...

• Word Count: 665
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Young Goodman Brown has decided much to the angst of his wife, to go into the forest to carry out an evil journey. ... Young Goodman Brown knew that there was an evil purpose to his journey but decides to go because he is curious. ... The man lends Goodman Brown his wooden staff that has a serpent on it, which is dramatic irony, as a reader we are able to make the connection that the serpent is a reference to the book of Genesis, in which the serpent represents evil and tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. ... Goodman Brown only starts to feel comfortable in the forest, which is portrayed ...

• Word Count: 1193
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography

It represents the structure that lead to the continuing process of the scenario. ... A place "darkened by all the gloomiest trees," unknown territory, is the characteristics of the forest that represents evil and sinfulness (141). The main character of the story prefers the surroundings of the night where the evil can only be sought after while enveloped in the darkness of the night. ... Everyone knows that the swaying power of the sin is very strong and therefore should control the natural evil that lies within all of them. ...

• Word Count: 536
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Goodman's wife, Faith, wears a cap adorned with pink ribbons, which represent his faith. ... His faith is represented by a pink ribbon, which fell from the sky. ... Nathaniel Hawthorne lets the reader know that Young Goodman Brown dreams his meeting with evil. ... It was a dream of evil omen for young Goodman Brown?...

• Word Count: 483
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

These symbols are viewed in a continue struggle between the evil temptations, the devil, and the church abiding life in Young Goodman heart and mind. ... Hawthorne criticizes this community that believes they are pure but the evil resides just as in the people they persecute. ... Faith has her "pink ribbons" that represent the sincere, pure, and innocent Goodman's faith. ... The man Goodman found in the forest had a staff in the shape of black snake, the symbol of darkness and evil. ... And is this staff that represents the easy options we can choose in lives but that not are the bette...

• Word Count: 713
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

(Hawthorne, 2000, p. 45) Hester herself often glimpses flashes of this evilness in her child. ... Moby Dick is a timeless tale of man's battle against sin and evil. The men of the Pequod are in a constant evil battle against the white whale Moby Dick. ... In Moby Dick, the symbolic message is that sin threatens to destroy the world, which in the story is represented by the Pequod. ... (Melville, 1851, p. 174) It often seems as if some evil spirit, possibly the devil, possesses Moby Dick. ...

• Word Count: 654
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Because of that, Chillingworth represents evil in the novel. ... Even from the beginning, when there is a beautiful rosebush surrounded by "evil", which previews what is to come in the book. ... Pearl represents Hester's sin. ... The scaffold also represents an important part of the book. It represents the public forgiving of sins. ...

• Word Count: 702
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The greatest meaning of the story is portrayed in the conflict between good and evil. ... Also, it represents deception and obscurity of Goodman's heart; his mind seems filled with malevolent and dreary thoughts. ... With every step taken, Brown approaches closer to the point of accepting sin and evil. ... He cannot confront the dread of evil in his heart, and chooses to reject all society. ... At the end of the tale we do not know if good or evil won. ...

• Word Count: 591
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Although these stories are different in many ways, they show how people and evil can become united. ... Humans associate the devil with evil and darkness. ... All Beatrice really represents is a devils messanger sent to hypnotize the good with beauty. Goodman Brown, on the other hand, actively tries to find the devil, he is not an evil person for this, just confused. He felt that his life would not be complete unless he saw things from an evil viewpoint. ...

• Word Count: 593
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

A delicate balance between forces that are good and those that are evil hangs within every beating heart. ... Both the potential for good or evil dwells within each of these characters; however, it is their choice whether or not to give into the anger which will cause the evil within to grow. ... Evil has proven to be just as consuming as Dimmesdale's sin, if not more. The evil within Chillingworth has transformed him into the being from which all evil is rooted: the Devil himself. ... Despite the evil found in Pearl through the pain she caused her mother, she has come to repres...

• Word Count: 1073
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Thus, the character Faith represents significant symbol in this tale, as she seems to stand for much more than just Brown's wife. ... Additionally, according to Levy, the colour pink is created through a blend of white (which represents virtue) and red (which represents sin) (282). Therefore, the pink ribbons signify a mixture of good and evil. ... Walsh maintains that Brown's voyage into the shadowy depths of the forest represents his crossing into the dark portion of his inner self (239). ... Walsh asserts that this acts as an illustration of Brown's journey down the road ...

• Word Count: 1015
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School