Young Goodman Brown Q&A

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

I think Hawthorne’s purpose for writing this story was to say that you can see people or life a certain way but once you know something or something impacts you your view changes. It changes how you see someone or the world. For example when you trust someone and someone tells you something or you find something out that they did they break your trust and that affects how you are from then on.


      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?

In the beginning of the story Faith seems like a nice, gentle, and kind woman who can do no wrong. Faith seems to fit her persona she seems as though she herself can do no wrong. Brown had faith in her and believed that he can always count on her to be there for him no matter what. Toward the end Gaith is at a meeting of devil worshipers and that’s when Brown loses his faith in her and her name no longer fits her personality.

       3.What do you think the pink ribbons signify?

The pink ribbon to me symbolizes the good something pure which is represented as white and the devil or something bad(sin) which is represented with red. When you mix the colors together you would get pink.  To me the pink ribbons represent both good and bad. It represents Browns faith.

          4.Was everything Brown witnessed real, a figment of his imagination, something conjured by evil, or a dream?

In my opinion everything Brown witnessed was a dream. I believe he fell asleep and woke up to his dream. If it had been real no one would act differently if they knew he saw the them last night and Faith would be just as worried if she had been there that night she would relay on her husband. Everyone in town was acting as if they had no clue to what was happening and some dreams do feel vivid but they are dreams. 

          5.Who do you think the old man really is?  What textual clues tell you this?
       
The old man who walked with Brown to me was the devil. He was the devil because he had a staff which seemed like a serpent and he knew Browns father and grandfather. If he knew them he should’ve been dead of old age but he is still alive and trying to lead Brown to evil. To a place where people worship the devil. 

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

The staff represents a serpent, which belongs to the devil/old man. I believe Browns own conscience motivated him to follow the staff. After he heard Faith and saw her pink ribbon he lost his faith and decided to go to where the staff lead him. He could have left the staff and gone home but his mind told him otherwise. 

       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 had stayed home I believe he would still trust everyone and he would still have his faith with him. If he hadn’t gone into the forest he would have faith and he would believe in the townspeople who he’s known for so long.