Hawthorne and Halloween

In honor of All Hallow's Eve, I thought it appropriate to post one of my favorite short stories, "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  While Edgar Allen Poe is typified as the author of everything macabre and spooky (I used to love reading his poems on Halloween), Hawthorne also explores the hidden darkness in human nature in this chilling tale.  In the story, a young puritan travels away from home on a dreary night to make a deal with the devil himself.  Hiding his wicked plans from his lovely wife, Faith, and the good townspeople of Salem, he embarks into the woods leaving all he knows behind.  After meeting a traveller on the road who we can only surmise is Satan, Brown soon learns that all the people in Salem and the surrounding region, including Goody Cloyse, his aged catechism teacher, have all previously made a pact with Satan and are gathering that night to initiate he and his wife into their cult.  Learning that his wife is being born along on the very same evil errand as himself if more than enough to raise Brown from his stupor.  The intent of Goodman's journey becomes one of salvation rather than damnation as he tears through the woods at a superhuman pace to rescue his wife from destruction.  Just as all seems lost, Brown comes to consciousness the next day in the middle of the forest, not knowing whether his fantastic quest was a horrible nightmare or an actual event.  Unable to discern whether his adventure in the woods was real or not, Brown's faith in his wife and fellow townspeople is all but lost at the mere notion that they are all complicit in the work of the evil one.  Brown's disillusionment with his fellow man, consequent loss of faith (and Faith, you can think more about that), and resulting bitterness are a worthwhile study by anyone who wishes to challenge their faith and thinking in a creative way on the 31st of October.  Below is a link to the story.

"Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Happy Halloween and happy reading.