Young Goodman Brown

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

I think he wants to show how all people are capable of sinning . Due to his own personal sinning he thought everyone else wherr sinners. 

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?

 

I think Faith's name fits her exquisitely.  Brown's "faith" was supposed to stay with her. 

3. What do you think the pink ribbons signify?

 Faith's pink ribbons represent her purity in the story. The color pink signifies her personality which is full of youth and happy and it also signifies how innocent she is. 

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.

I believe that everything that Brown witnessed was real. The evil magic was put in to make Brown think he was in a dream. His veiw on people will be forever changed. 

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

He could possibly be the devil. He is proud of himself and what he does to the men 

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 what is the devil's staff. The journey Brown had with the staff is similar to Eve's story. They were both fooled by the temptation and led to the path of evil.

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?

He would see everyone the same as he did before. He would be trusting everyone with the purity in his mind and haveing faith.