1. “Young Goodman Brown” is an allegory (symbolic narrative). What do the following represent?
Young Goodman Brown – Young Goodman Brown represents good and evil. Faith is what he tries to follow, but evil tempts him to leave his faith. He is an innocent man, tempted with evil.
Faith – Faith is Brown’s spiritual beliefs. In the story, several people are in danger of losing their faith. Faith is like a light. The forest is like darkness. People leave the light to go to into darkness. Brown is fearful of losing his wife to the darkness.
The Elderly Traveller/Fellow-Traveller – The Traveler is most likely the devil. He is the evil component of the story, tempting others and inflicting evil upon others.
Goody Cloyse – Goody Cloyse is the representation of a fake persona. It is like a fallen angel. They fake being a good person, when in reality they are evil.
The Ceremony – The Ceremony is a Baptismal ceremony. It represents going from good faith to evil. It is the renewal of faith in the devil.
The Pink Ribbon – The Pink Ribbon represents purity. When the ribbon gets left behind and he finds it, Brown loses hope in ever having his pure wife back.
Young Goodman Brown’s Journey – His journey represents the fall of man. It represents how a man of good faith is not perfect. He is tempted just like everyone else. Nobody is perfect and sometimes temptation is too hard to resist.
2. Identify the following for “Young Goodman Brown”:
Theme Message of Theme Element Used to Establish
Sin/Fall of Man Humanity is not perfect Plot/Conflict
In addition, provide three direct quotes from the story that address your theme.
- “My Faith is gone!” cried he, after one stupefied moment. ‘There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is the world given’”(6).
- “The road grew wilder and drearier and more faintly traced, and vanished at length, leaving him in the heart of the dark wilderness, still rushing onward with the instinct that guides mortal man to evil” (6)
- “Depending upon one another’s hearts, ye had still hoped that virtue were not all a dream. Now are ye undeceived……
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