The Deeper Meanings of Young Goodman Brown "Young Goodman Brown," a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, should be interpreted on a psychoanalytic rather than religious level. My observation is that "Young Goodman Brown" may well be the first published work that alludes to divisions of the mind and personality theory. Although religion is a direct theme throughout the story, "Young Goodman Brown" appears to be an allegory with deeper meanings. To adequately explore my position regarding the dynamics of “Young Goodman Brown,” it is necessary to understand Freud's structural model. Freud's development of the structural model presents an understanding of the struggles between the conscious and unconscious forces of the mind. The structural model points to three powerful forces that dictate conscious behavior, or binders of reality. These three forces are made up of Id, Superego and Ego. When young Goodman Brown begins his journey along the haunted forest trail, he quickly encounters a fellow traveler who I interpret as the irrational guide lurking within him. The guide repeatedly urges Goodman Brown to continue the commission despite Brown's overwhelming reluctance; she assures him that "[We] are still little in the forest" (Hawthorne 274). The traveler manifests a subconscious part of the psyche called the id. The id is that part of the psyche driven by pleasure and irrational desires. The guide's insistence never seems to be in Brown's best interest. The traveler's motivation was to do what felt good at the time, without taking into account any potential consequences that might result, which in this story turns out to be the loss of Goodman Brown's wife. , Wedding ring. His reckless behavior is in... middle of the paper... and can be found in Hawthorne's story. If the reader will simply look beyond its literal interpretation and explore the rich symbols and hidden meanings laden throughout the text, they will be rewarded with a work of fiction that was well before its time. Works Cited Carpenter, Richard. "Hawthorne's Polar Explorations: Young Goodman Brown and My Relative, Major Molineux." Nineteenth Century Fiction 24 (1969): 45-56.Gay, Peter. Freud: a life for our time. New York: Doubleday, 1989. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." Literature Reading fiction, poetry, drama and essays. Ed. Robert Di Yanni. 4th ed. Boston: McGraw & Hill, 1998. 272-280.Hurley, Paul. "Young Goodman Brown's 'Heart of Darkness'." American Literature 37 (1966): 410-419. Paulits, Walter. "Ambivalence in 'Young Goodman Brown.'" American Literature 41 (1970): 577-584.