david leeb

Goodman had a meeting with the devil one dark night. It was, without a doubt, a horrible, disturbing evening for Goodman Brown. He started his journey as a sane, pious man but was eventually corrupted by the devil and the horrible truths he was forced to face. Though he kept trying to deny what the devil was telling him about his community and his family ("I have been well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans;" and "The deacons of many a church have drunk the communion wine with me;"), he was finally forced to believe these truths when he saw three devout citizens of his town making their own evil ventures through the woods. Convinced that he could conquer the wills of sin "With Heaven above, and Faith below" he stood his ground and proceeded no further. It wasn't until he heard his wife's, Faith's, scream that he realized he was alone in his battle against the devil. This realization sent him on a blasphemous rampage through the woods, cursing, and making sexual gestures. Eventually, he reached the communion of the devil where he saw most of .
             his town and his wife in their true forms, followers of the devil. He joined his wife on the altar of fire in front of the devil to receive his communion, and in a last attempt to redeem himself, he looked toward Heaven to avoid him. By morning, he awoke without being certain if he actually been with the devil or if it was a dream. Without certainty, how did Goodman Brown proceed? Did he confront people in a truthful manner? No, what he did was let the remainder of his life be ruled by his frailty. He felt guilty, suspicious, untrusting, and these frailties made him a miserable man.
             Assume that instead of being suspicious, guilty, and untrusting when he awoke, he was open, forthright, and truthful about his feelings to the people he encountered. What would have happened if he went right up to Deacon Gookin, Goody Cloyse, or his wife, Faith, and said "Hey, what the hell was going on last night?" What destroyed Goodman Brown was his inability to confront all those around him with the truth.