IN Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown," what do the pink ribbons represent?

carol-davis

Then God bless you! said Faith, with the pink ribbons; And may you find all well
when you come back.

's "" examines an ambiguous
time in history.  The government was led by religious authorities; consequently, every person's
beliefs and actions were subject to criticism. 

Young Goodman Brown tells the
devil in the forest that he was held back by "Faith"  when he comes to the meeting
late. Obviously, Brown's statement refers to his wife Faith. The devil perceives that Brown,
because of his religious faith, hesitated to meet with him and carry through with the plans
[probably a sell your soul idea] that Hawthorne does not actually state in the story.
 

The description of Faith Brown includes her pink ribbons.  The color pink
has symbolically stood for innocence.   To Goodman Brown, his wife represented everything pure
and good. Ribbons also imply a carefree spirit. 

 With
heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil! cried Goodman
Brown.

When Goodman Brown sees the pink ribbon in the
forest, he loses his faith both literally and figuratively.  

There was a scream...But something fluttered lightly down through the air and caught on
the branch of a tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon.

My
Faith is gone! cried he...There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name."

Hawthorne used the ribbon to subtly reinforce the idea that Faith
was a part of the satanic ritual.  This powerful symbol led Goodman Brown to divorce himself
spiritual, emotionally, and physically from the rest of the townspeople.  Despite the fact that
he remained with Faith and they had children, he was no longer the husband or man that Faith
watched go into the forest. 

The ambiguity of the story centers on the
reality of the events.  Did Goodman Brown dream or actually experience the meeting with the
devil and seeing the other townspeople that he had respected? Hawthorne cleverly leaves the
reader with many questions about the woodland happenings.  When Goodman Brown returns to town a
bitter man, his wife has the same pink ribbons in her hair as before. Faith, at least to the
outside world, maintains her innocent heart. 

Since Brown was so dependent on
Faith for his religious grounding, he loses everything when he discovers the ribbons in the
wood. This is the turning point for him.  He will never trust anyone again because the most
important person in his life left him with doubt in his heart. That is the significance of the
ribbons. 

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