Name:

Ms. Antonellis
English 11
Date:
Analyzing Young Goodman Brown

1. How does the setting add to the meaning of the story: sunset and night, dreary road,
gloomiest trees, narrow path? How does this imagery create the mood? How does this
mood help us predict the nature of Young Goodman Browns journey?
2. Consider the significance of Faith kept me back awhile.
3. Why do you think Faith wore pink ribbons? How might this be symbolic?
4. Discuss the significance of the second traveler. apparently in the same rank of life as
Goodman Brown and bearing a considerable resemblance to him, though perhaps more in
expression than features. Still they might have been taken for father and son. How else
is he characterized? Is he Browns alter ego? Explain.
5. What does the fellow traveler tell Goodman about Goodmans family history? How does
Goodman view his actions in relation to his family history? How does his companion
respond to Goodmans claims about his family? Through this, what is Hawthorne telling
us about evil?
6. After his encounter with Goody Cloyse, Goodman Brown tries to resist the devils
temptations by raising what issue?
7. After Goodman Brown refuses to go any farther, the traveler throws him the maple stick
and leaves. Explain Goodman Browns attitude and conscience.
8. After the minister and Deacon Gookin ride by, what happens to Goodman Brown? Why
is this significant? Explain the statement, With heaven above and Faith below, I will
stand firm against the devil!
9. At what precise moment does Goodman Brown lose his faith?
10. Describe what Goodman Brown saw when he arrived at the meeting and explain the
meaning.
11. To what extent are we as readers asked to agree with the devils speech about evil being
the nature of mankind?
12. How does Goodman Brown treat people the next day? What happens to him? Why?
13. Young Goodman Brown is a moral allegory. Essentially, an allegory is an extended
metaphor using one thing to represent another a story with dual meanings. Therefore,
there is a surface or literal meaning as well as a secondary meaning. In other words,
Hawthorne uses this moral allegory to reveal a moral lesson or lessons. Explain the
moral lesson(s) you discover in the story.
14. In allegories, characters are usually personifications of abstract qualities. For example,
characters can represent a human trait or behavior. With that in mind, discuss the
significance of the names Young Goodman Brown and Faith.
15. Below are five different themes of Young Goodman Brown. Find at least two pieces of
specific evidence in the text to support each theme.
The Puritans strict moral code and overemphasis on sinfulness of humankind
foster undue suspicion and distrust.
The realization that evil can infect people who seem upright.
One persons virtue is another persons sin and one persons sin is another
persons virtue.
Dream vs. Reality Normal people sometimes accept delusions, etc. as real
events.
Young Goodman Brown is a thrill seeker.