“Young Goodman Brown”.
“Young Goodman Brown”
1. Analyze the point of view in “Young Goodman Brown.” How does point of view affect the descriptions of the landscape and secondary characters, like Brown’s wife and the “second traveler”? 2. How does the exposition introduce the setting, the mood and the characters? 3. Who is Young Goodman Brown? 4. What is his deal with Satan? 5. How would you call Young Goodman Brown’s Journey? 6. Who is Satan’s antagonist in the story? 7. What is the role of Faith in the story? 8. What do pink ribbons symbolize? 9. What does forest symbolize? 10. Find examples of Gothicism in the story. 11. Has Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest and only dreamed a wild dream of witch-meeting? 12. Do you believe Goodman actually witnessed a Satanic festival, or did he imagine it or dream it? What evidence is there in the story? Does it matter? 13. How can you describe Brown’s awakening? 14. Is there a sinner in this story? Is there a virtuous man or woman in this story? What deadly sin does Young Goodman Brown commit? 15. “Young Goodman Brown” contains numerous allusions to Biblical narratives. Find one of these allusions, read the original story in the Bible, and compare it to “Young Goodman Brown.” Are the events of the stories similar? Why do you think Hawthorne chose to reference this particular Biblical tale in his story? 16. Consider “Young Goodman Brown” as an allegory. How does Hawthorne establish the allegory in the opening pages? 17. What symbolic interpretations of the story can you suggest? 18. What other interpretations /approaches to the story can you suggest? 19. Hawthorne often deals with moral and ethical questions in his writing, but his stories rarely have clear “morals.” Why do you think this is? Is it a strength or a weakness in writing?