Young Goodman Brown

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• Leerjaar 6

Young Goodman Brown

If you didn't (fully) read the story now is the time to tell me!

Page 8, halfway down
Why does the old man (Satan) laugh so loud?

1. Goodman Brown confesses he doesn't know the governor
2. Goodman Brown is afraid of the minister
3. Satan knows that the minister himself is a bad man
4. Satan finds Brown's love for Faith ridiculous

They see an old woman, by the name of Goody Cloyse.
What is her relation to YGB? She is...

1. his mother
2. his Sunday school teacher
3. his English teacher
4. his sister

Page 9, 1st half
The old man makes a new staff. What happens to it?

It's left for Goodman Brown to travel to the meeting with.

Page 10, halfway down
“My Faith is gone”
What happened to make YGB realise this?

Pink Ribbon

Page 11 – the Communion
All the “good” people of the village are with Satan.
What sort of things have these so-called “good” people done?
(Bottom of the page)

- churchmen slept with a young maid.

- wives who have killed their husbands.

- son's who killed their fathers

- women who killed their children

Page 12 – Faith and YGB are to be baptised by Satan
2nd half: YGB is back in Salem. What has changed?

Nothing much only YGB has changed. He now knows his fellow townsmen and women are worshipping the devil. For YGB everything has changed.

Discuss:

Was it a dream? If so, when did YGB fall asleep? 

(Two possible answers)

"Had Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting? Be it so, if you will; but, alas! it was a dream of evil omen for young Goodman Brown."
He could've fallen asleep in the forest or maybe even before that.

Discuss:

Is it important for the message of the story whether it was a dream or not? 

Discuss:

This story is an allegory. An allegory is a metaphor continued throughout the entire story.

So: what metaphor underpins this story?
(what is compared with what?)

Fall of Man - Bible story

Nathaniel Hawthorne

* Lived: 1804 - 1864

* Salem witch trials: 1692/93 in Puritan society

* ~200 people accused; ~30 found guilty; 78% women
   (Puritan belief: women weak > cannot resist Satan [Eve!])

* Nathaniel's grandfather! > Nathaniel's feelings of guilt

* The Scarlet Letter

include John Hathorne, the only judge from the Salem witch trials who never repented his involvement. 

Literary Analysis

Storyline, when, how much time, where, setting

Narrator

Theme

Plot

Main characters

Motifs, symbols, allusions

Mood

Storyline

Narrator

the story is told from a limited omniscient third-person narrator point of view.

Theme

The Weakness of Public Morality
Good vs Evil
Loss of Innocence
Fear of nature

Plot

Main characters

Young Goodman Brown - round

The Devil - flat

Faith - flat

Motifs, symbols, allusions

Motifs - female purity, faith, light versus dark.
Symbols - Pink ribbon, staff, my catechism etc. see booklet p. 14-16

Allusion - snake - Fall of Man

Motif: is a distinctive repeating feature or idea; often, it helps develop other narrative (or literary) aspects such as theme or mood.
Motifs support the general theme.

Mood

Dark and gloomy, foreboding "and may you find all well, when you come back."
"Dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest tress of the forest"