What do “the Pink Ribbons,” “the Staff,” and “the Forest” signify?

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What do the Pink Ribbons the Staff and the Forest signify NU Nathaniel Hawthorne s - Young Goodman Brown is full of symbols Each symbol has a deep meaning They are not just simple objects They stand for faith temptation and sin Three important symbols are the pink ribbons the staff and the forest The Pink Ribbons- Symbol of Faith and Innocence Faith Goodman Brown s wife wears pink ribbons Pink is a soft pure color It means innocence and love Later one ribbon falls from the sky Brown cries My Faith is gone This has a double meaning He feels he has lost his wife Faith He also feels he has lost his spiritual faith Thus the pink ribbons symbolize innocence purity and lost belief The Staff- Symbol of Devil and Temptation In the forest the traveler carries a strange staff Hawthorne describes the staff in such a way

Bore the likeness of a great black snake This staff is a symbol of the Devil It recalls the serpent in the Garden of Eden It stands for temptation deceit and evil power When Brown touches it he feels weak The staff shows how sin enters human life and pulls man toward evil The Forest- Symbol of Darkness and Sin The dark forest is the setting of temptation Hawthorne writes Dreary road darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest The dark forest is not just nature It is a symbol of fear temptation and evil The path is narrow and hidden Shadows move and strange voices call The forest becomes the mirror of Brown s own soul It shows his doubts his secret desires and his hidden weakness For Hawthorne the forest is the human heart filled with darkness The pink ribbons the staff and the forest are three strong symbols They show innocence temptation and sin Through these Hawthorne proves that human life is a struggle between faith and evil

Young Goodman Brown

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What do “the Pink Ribbons,” “the Staff,” and “the Forest” signify?

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Nathaniel Hawthorne

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