Young Goodman Brown

These are my answers to the "Young Goodman Brown" questions.

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

       I think his purpose in writing this story was to explain to us that we all have different mind sets. Many of us have a different way of seeing the world, and also have different ways of expressing ourselves to the world.

2. 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?

 

 Yes, i agree and feel like Faith's name fits her personality. The writer did a good job in setting this character up with the story in how Brown had to leave his Faith behind. Since his wife's name is Faith, we the readers look at it as if he left his wife, and he lost his faith in himself.

3. What do you think the pink ribbons signify?

I think the pink ribbons signify that faith will always be with him. In the beginning, Faith had worn the ribbons, and when he leaves her behind, he still sees them along his way as a sign that she is still with him. Not physically, but in his heart.

4. 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 had gone through on his journey was FAKE. He was hallucinating, it was all a really bad evil dream. This was a dream because he had waken up and gone back to the village and he still had his wife, and everyone in the village. But he didnt see them all the same, the way he looked at them had changed.

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

This is my guess. I think the old man is actually a clone of Brown. Or maybe at least its supposed to signify Brown. I think this because he had always been so scared to lose things, such as his wife, his faith in his religion and the way he looked at his peers. Now i think the old man being Brown makes sense because its a way for him to try and conquer his fears in losing one thing.

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

I think the staff is to represent Browns assistance on his journey. This staff was used for Brown to keep on trying to go even further on his journey when he felt like giving up or not continuing.

7. 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 were to have never ever gone on his journey, his life would be way different. Brown would have never looked at his wife along with his people at the village differently. Also if he never went, his mind would have never changed and he would have still been the same person he was before. He would still have faith in his wife, and the trust in the people in his village.