Young Goodman Brown

In this lesson, students will analyze Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown." This is a gothic tale that has a theme of good versus evil. Students will be able to look at other works by Hawthorne, which will give them a better understanding of his genre. Links to the Salem Witch Trials and other gothic authors will be available to enhance the lesson.

"Young Goodman Brown" tells the story of a man living in Salem, Massachusetts, during a time when witch trials were occurring. The story also deals with Puritan elements, where piousness is mixed with magic and witchcraft. The main character, Goodman Brown, appears as an unassuming, almost wimpy man, who seems to be in a constant state of fear. The narrator of the story focuses on what happens to Brown instead of what he may be thinking. Brown is portrayed as a "regular Joe" but seems vulnerable to self-doubt and suspicion. He is not a hero, but more of an anti-hero, who reacts to what is going on around him.

Hawthorne wrote often of evil in society. His work often coincided with his religious studies, particularly his studies of Puritanism. Hawthorne used extensive symbolism in his work. Like his contemporaries, Poe and Melville, symbols played an important part in Hawthorne's literary works. Hawthorne often used the metaphor of everyday objects to symbolize romance. His work often reveals dark, romantic themes.

Like Poe and Melville, Hawthorne reacted against the core of the philosophical movement of the day, transcendentalism. His concerns of separating heart and head is what helped shape one of his most notable stories, "The Scarlet Letter."