"Young Goodman Brown" Paragraphs

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What do you see as the value of such writings for modern readers?

            "Puritan ideologies and pragmatism are still ingrained and reverberate in our society today and illustrate beliefs in order, hard work, education, a God-centered society, and community.

            Puritan ideals still stressed in the world today include the belief in hard work and self-improvement through education which will help later in life.  In today’s society, self-reliance, a Puritan value, promotes independence.  Most Americans believe that if people take steps to improve themselves, there will be a better society.  Just like the Puritans in the 1600s, Americans today stress that their children work hard in school so that their lives will be better.  The Puritans believed in hard work, frugality, self-improvement, self-reliance, and lastly, education.  American society believes in all of those elements, most importantly education.

            The moral character of America was shaped by the Puritans.  Today, it seems the Puritan frame of mind can be found in America’s economical, educational, legal, and political systems where the work ethic as well as a heightened moral fiber is generally praised and rewarded.  American values conform to the essence of Puritanism which is not only a religious conviction, but an element of American culture.  They were the first settlers of America and in their one hundred years of presence, they spread ideas and values which still resonate throughout the land.  The Puritan work ethic became a staple of American idealism."

"Young Goodman Brown" Paragraphs

Type this assignment:  Write a sizable (at least 1/3 of a page) about each of the following.  Explain who these people are and what part  they play in the story.  Items: what significance do they have in the story.

1. Goodman Brown"

2. Fellow-traveler

3. staff

4. catechism

5. maple stick

6. Faith

7. pink ribbon

8. forest

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1. What does young Goodman Brown mean when he says "of all nights in the year, this one night must I tarry away from thee" (par. 3)?  What is important about this particular night, and why does Goodman Brown believe he must journey "'twixt now and sunrise"?

2.  Where are the times that Goodman Brown paused and resolved not to go any further into the forest?  How do you think this relates to life in general?

3. Is Goodman Brown surprised to encounter the second traveler on the road, or does he seem to expect him?  What is the significance of their encounter?  What do you make of the fact that the stranger bears a strong resemblance to young Goodman Brown?

4. What sins are the various characters Goodman Brown meets in the woods guilty of committing?

5. "Young Goodman Brown" has two distinct settings:  Salem and the woods.  What are the differences between these settings?  What significance does each setting have in the story?

6. Why do the people gather in the woods?  Why do they attend the ceremony?

7. Explain the change that takes place in young Goodman Brown at the end of the story.  Why can he not listen to the singing of holy psalms or to the minister's sermons?  What causes him to turn away from Faith and die in gloom?

8. At the end of the story, the narrator suggests that Goodman Brown might have fallen asleep and imagined his encounter with the witches.  Do you think the events in the story are all a dream?