Because the story is a great example of allegory, you
could probably make a case that everything in the story as some symbolic significance.
The settings are symbolic -- the town is civilization and rational behavior; the forest
is a "moral wilderness" where Brown is tempted by the Devil's promises. The name of his
wife, Faith, is symbolic. In each place her name is used, the reader can substitute
faith with a lower case "f" meaning his faith in God. She is a symbol of goodness, and
when he thinks he sees her ribbon in the woods, his Faith is gone (with the Devil) and
his faith (in God, the goodness of people) is gone. Faith's pink ribbons are an
interesting color choice. First of all, Puritans generally didn't not adorn themselves
with pretty colorful ribbons, but Faith's ribbons suggest a youthfulness and a slight
"bending of the rules." The color is also created by mixing white (purity) with red
(sin). The color could then suggest that Faith is not wholly good or evil -- just a mix
that is typical in human nature.
Brown's journey through
the woods is symbolic of a quest. He must go on this mission, be challenged along the
way, and come from the quest a changed man -- this certain happens to Brown. The ending
may not be all that happy for him, but he is the one who brings about his own misery,
only able to suspect the worst in those around him.
No comments:
Post a Comment