Young Goodman Brown

A detailed Summary of Young Goodman Brown

Nathaniel Hawthorn's "Young Goodman Brown"(reprinted in Thomas r. Arp's

Story and Structure, 9th ed.[Fort Worth: Hardcourt,1998] 303-12)has an

ambiguous quality that defines many of Hawthorn's other works. He uses these

loose ended stories to draw the reader in allowing him or her to make his or

her own decisions as to the meaning of the story. In the case of "Young

Goodman Brown" this ambiguity lets the reader identify with Brown by giving

them only the information that Brown gets, and giving them the same doubts

that plague Brown for the rest of his life. Their are two basic conclusions

that the story could have; Brown really met the devil and his whole town is in

Satan's service, or Brown dreamt the whole thing. By doing this Hawthorne

presents a story with dual meanings. Brown both dreamed, and truly

experienced the events and each ending gives the reader a different message.

In the case of reality Hawthorne presents a warning of lies hidden beneath the

surface, while if it was a dream Hawt

and all his doubts on his faith will be alleviated. So he goes forth, and

in his life. In essence his whole life is ruined, by a dream that he can not

showing the dangers of society, and the evils it can hide. Puritanical

dealings of the villagers. His dream was simply a conglomeration of his

and even in some strange sense exchanges recipes with him(306). Even the

speaking of the upcoming meeting (307-8). Brown even finds his own family had

story, and actually are the root of his foray into the woods. He seeks the

he thought were beyond reproach parade past revealing sins beyond Brown's

it. One ending strips Brown's faith by revealing the truth, the other by a

Approximate Word count = 700
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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