Young Goodman Brown

The role of the guide is to lead him to a particular place. The guide looks similar to young Goodman Brown. In fact I feel it is implied that the guide is an older Goodman Brown. The guide by appearance then can be trusted by young Goodman Brown. However the guide seems a little more devious. When young Goodman Brown first approaches him, he is hidden in darkness and startles young Goodman Brown. I had the feeling of evil surrounding this character from the very beginning, which is what I feel the author wanted. The guide convices young Goodman Brown to continue on this journey. More than once young Goodman Brown wants to stop or rest and the guide convinces him to keep going. The guide is will to offer something so that young Goodman Brown will continue following him. He is being tempted to continue this journey. The first person they come across in the woods in Goody Cloyse. She is a good Christian woman who when young Goodman Brown was a child she taught the catechism. This is someone whom he looks up to and trusts in his faith for she is one who helped him as a child find his beliefs. The next were the minister and Deacon Gookin. These two gentle men of of high religious faith and morals. All the people he comes across in the woods are religious followers. However all of them are heading in the direction of a devil worship. This causes some confusion and inner struggle with young Goodman Brown because these are people whom he trusted and looked up to in his faith and yet appear to be working with the devil.