Young Goodman Brown
By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Let’s Explore The Basic Nature Of Mankind, Shall We?
First, let’s define…
Allegory:
A representation of (abstract) concepts though concrete
or material forms…
Major Characters
Young Goodman Brown
Faith
The Old Man
Goody Cloyse
Deacon Gookin
Forest
Night
Symbols
Pink Ribbons
Walking Stick
Townspeople
Themes
Temptation
Individual v. Society
Guilt v. Innocence
Good v. Evil
Notable Quotes…
“Faith kept me back awhile,” replied the young man.
“With Heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand
firm against the devil!” cried Goodman Brown.
“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 this world given.”
In truth, all through the haunted forest, there could be
nothing more frightful than the figure of Goodman
Brown
The Fiend…
The fiend in his own shape is less hideous,
than when he rages in the breast of man.
Evil is the nature of mankind. Evil must be
your only happiness. Welcome, again, my
children, to the communion of your race!”
A Little Verbal Jousting…
Is the Basic Nature of Mankind…Good
or Evil?
Using The Things They Carried, House of
Sand and Fog, Young Goodman Brown,
and (for honors) The Scarlet
Letter…formulate your opinion and
discuss.
Support your thoughts with direct quotes and passages
from the material at hand.