The Deceiving Old Man

The old man’s character in “Young Goodman Brown”, by Nathanial Hawthorne, represents the devil, but rather than frightening Brown, he acts as his friend by deceiving him with his welcoming attitude and human-like complexions. As brown begins his journey into the dark forest, he comes across a figure of a man with decent attire (452). The devil is presenting himself as a well-dressed human being to lure Brown into the forest. Some of the characteristics that hint he is the devil are his staff that has the “likeness of a great black snake” and the manner he walks as if he knows the world (453). This shows that the old man knows how to hide his dark soul and is prideful in who he is. When the devil confesses to Brown, “I have been as well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans,” Brown is marveled that his family never spoke of the matters they had with the devil (453). After confessing his evilness to him, Brown continues this dark path alongside the old man, which proves that the devil is successfully deceiving Brown.