In the short story “Young Goodman Brown”, the author Nathaniel Hawthorne frequently used the concept of evil to create suspense throughout the duration of the story. The most significant point in the story when Hawthorne does this is at the ceremony in the forest which appeared to be a witches Sabbath. At this point, with Goodman Brown and his wife Faith at the ceremony, the old man who I assume is the devil stated “Depending upon one another’s hearts, ye had still hoped that virtue were not all a dream! Now are ye undeceived! Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be your only happiness. Welcome again my children, to the communion of your race!”. The devil is basically saying that it is normal human nature to sin and find happiness in what you do without worrying about the repercussions of a higher power such as God. This point is emphasized by all the people that Goodman Brown knows at the ceremony such as Goody Cloyse, Deacon Gookin and his wife Faith. These people who he believed to be good Christians were embracing the devil in what he described as the communion of the human race.
I believe that the suspense that is created at this moment is whether or not Goodman Brown will turn towards the devil and evil, or keep his faith in his beliefs. With these people that he cared for and respected, at the ceremony, it became an easier choice for Goodman Brown to attend the ceremony. The thought of being with his wife was enough to make Goodman Brown betray his convictions. When his beliefs interfered with what he wanted, he chose to abandon them. In the beginning of his journey through the forest, Goodman Brown could not be persuaded by the devil to venture further into the depths of the forest. In the end, it was not the words of the devil that persuaded him, but rather the people around him that had succumbed to evil that changed his mind.