Hawthorne's story, "Young Goodman Brown", appears to be a story about original sin with a lot of symbolism tied together to make it an allegory. An allegory is a story that can be interpreted in different ways to find the hidden meaning behind the symbolism of the story The three things that are emphasized throughout the short story are faith, the forest that Goodman Brown walks through, and the staff that the old man. man who leads Goodman Brown on his path continues. The short story "Young Goodman Brown" uses several symbols such as: faith, the forest and the staff to significantly contribute to the allegory. , represents not only Goodman Brown's wife, but also his religious faith. This dual purpose of Faith only makes it more difficult for Goodman Brown to enter the forest and leave Faith behind (Haddock in his path). towards the forest, Goodman Brown is not sure of his decision. That’s when he declares. saying to himself: “What a wretch am I to let her run such an errand! She also talks about dreams. As she spoke, it seemed to me that she had a troubled face, as if a dream had warned her of the work to be done this evening. But no, no; It would kill her to think that. Well, he is a blessed angel on earth; and after this night I will cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven. (Young Goodman Brown). When Goodman Brown meets his so-called leader in the forest, he says, “Faith held me for a while…” (Young Goodman Brown). This quote shows the reader that Goodman could not choose between the devil and faith. During the journey he experiences many moments of uncertainty and sin and wants to turn back, it was at these times that Faith was more important to him than the traveler (Haddock). Besides Faith represents...... middle of paper ......th, but it was the "test" for Goodman Brown to see if he could obey God and stay true to his faith. In conclusion, “Young Goodman Brown” uses several symbols such as: faith, the forest, and the staff to significantly contribute to the allegory. Works Cited D., Jill. “What does the staff represent? » Notes saver. Gradesaver LLC, June 21, 2012. Web. April 30, 2014. Haddock, John. "Symbolism in 'Young Goodman Brown'." Critical essays. npnd Web. May 1, 2014 Ryken, Leland. "Discuss Hawthorne's classic story 'Young Goodman Brown'." The Gospel Coalition. The Gospel Coalition Inc, December 12, 2012. Web. May 1, 2014. “Themes, motifs and symbols. » SparkNotes. SparkNotes LLC, 2014. Web. April 29, 2014. “Young Goodman Brown.” The Literary Network. Np, and Web. May 2 2014.