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The pink ribbon fluttering before him is significant because it represents Faith, his wife and faith, his religion - both of which are "gone" (Hawthorne) at this point. He is changed by what he believes is truth and he can trust no one anymore. It is difficult enough that the man looses his faith but he also comes to look upon his faith with disdain. His appreciation for all that once held dear is ruined by what he might or might not have seen in the forest. The Sabbath, once a holy day, is infected to the point that Goodman cannot listen to hymns because an "anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear and drowned all the blessed strain" (Hawthorne). Everything and everyone is dirty and, unfortunately, there is no relief for Goodman.
It is important to note that while Goodman never knows the absolute truth about what his eyes beheld, it does not matter because the damage has been done. His life is permanently altered by the mere suggestion of good, honest people turning toward evil. In the same vein, Louise never gets to experience her new life because the truth on which she hung her hopes was in fact, misinformation. They are on opposite sides of the gamut when it comes to truth and consequences but the results are the same.
Louise and Goodman are examples of what can happen we are suddenly struck with...
The truth sometimes makes things better but, when it does not, it can sometimes make things worse. Louise saw a new life of freedom without her husband and for a woman living under the constraints of a patriarchal society, this has to be the most liberating thing she could imagine. Goodman sees an ugly side of the truth because his world consisted of good, honest, God-fearing people that would never take part in any type of activity that hinted of evil. Louise dies a physical death and Goodman dies a spiritual one; both changed forever by a morsel of truth. What we should remember in these stories is the power of the human in each case. Both plots work around a notion of the truth, which may or may not be true; however, it is the notion of the truth that changes each character and their thought processes. Louise and Goodman are victims of their own minds in that they let false truths and unintended consequences guide their emotions.
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Virginia Commonwealth University. Information Retrieved November 9, 2008. http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/hour/
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Literature Network Online. "Young Goodman Brown." Information Retrieved November 9, 2008. http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/158
Works Cited
Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." Virginia Commonwealth University. Information Retrieved November 9, 2008. http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/hour/
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Literature Network Online. "Young Goodman Brown." Information Retrieved November 9, 2008. http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/158
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