Young Goodman Brown Questions

What do you think Hawthorne's purpose was for writing this story?

- Hawthorne's purpose for writing this story is to show that Goodman Brown has a choice between good and evil. As humans living in the world we too have a choice between good and evil as well as seeing the good and evil in those around us.

Hawthorne states that Brown's wife is "aptly named" Faith.  After reading the story, do you agree?  Does Faith's name fit her personality?  Does Brown have true faith in her?

- After reading the story I agree that Faith's name fits her personality because she is quite cheerful and seemingly innocent. Brown loses true faith in Faith because after encountering her at the evil meeting he felt betrayed since he was so faithful to his religion. Seeing his wife being committed to evil made him lose trust in her.

What do you think the pink ribbons signify?

- The pink ribbons signify Faith and her innocent facade.

Was everything Brown witnessed real, a figment of his imagination, something conjured by evil, or a dream?  Support your answer with passages from the text.

- Everything Brown witnessed was just a dream because he woke up and everyone seemed to live about their normal lives, no evil evident in those who appeared in his mind. After stumbling out of the forest Faith is,"...bursting into such joy at sight of him, that she skipt along the street, and almost kissed her husband before the whole village." In the story it states,"...it was a dream of evil omen for young Goodman Brown."

Who do you think the old man really is?  What textual clues tell you this?

- I think the old man is is really the devil in disguise as a human. Textual clues that tell me this is,"... his staff, which bore the likeness of a black snake." Snakes usually symbolize the devil since in the story about Adam and Eve, the devil took the form of a snake to tempt Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. The old man also tries to lure Goodman Brown deeper into the forest. "'Let us walk on, nevertheless, reasoning as we go, and if I convince thee not, thou shalt turn back. We are but a little way in the forest, yet.'"

What does the staff represent?  Do you think the staff leads Brown onward or is the primary motivator Brown's own conscience/mind?

- The staff represents the devil leading onward even though Brown thinks that he shouldn't continue walking. I think the staff is the primary motivator of Brown's own conscience because he ends up walking deeper into the forest.

If Brown had not ventured into the forest, how would his life be different?  If he'd stayed home, would Brown still have Faith?  Would he still trust his wife and his fellow townspeople?

- If Brown hadn't ventured into the forest he wouldn't have died a lonely death and his relationship with others wouldn't be so bad. If Brown stayed home, Brown would probably still have Faith because he wouldn't have seen her in a bad light. He would still trust his wife and his fellow townspeople because he wouldn't view them as evil beings in Salem.