In "Young Goodman Brown", Hawthorne's purpose for writing is show us that there is always good and evil in each of us. The amount of it is unknown, for we all encounter it in different ways and respond in different ways. In this short story, Brown's wife is named Faith. After reading the story I disagree because in the beginning of the short story the couple sounded and I could picture it to be a loving relationship full of trust and care for each other. Faith's name does fit her personality because she even says goodbye and includes "God Bless you... may you find it all well, when you come back." This shows that she cares for him and will be waiting for him to come back home. Faith is not just about hoping for something but Believing. Brown does not have true faith in her towards the middle-end of the story because he starts to lean and give in to the devil himself. An example is that he walks with him forwards even though he said he was going to far and wanted to turn back. In these occasions, actions matter more than his words because he is not doing what he was coming out of his tongue/mouth. The Pink Ribbons signify a part of Faith for she was the one who wore it. It also represents faith showing up. Everything Brown witnessed was real to him.
- 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.
- Who do you think the old man really is? What textual clues tell you this?
- What does the staff represent? Do you think the staff leads Brown onward or is the primary motivator Brown's own conscience/mind?
- 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?
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