Young Goodman Brown Question

 

1. What do you think Hawthorne's purpose was for writing this story?                        I think Hawthorn's propose for writing this story was to give a lecture about what you believe in isn't always true.
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 agree that faith does fit her personality because in the story the Goodman believes his wife is a good Christian woman but when he discovers she isn't, Goodman still had faith in her. Causing Goodman to join the cult.      
3. What do you think the pink ribbons signify? I think the pink ribbons signify faith being pure when wearing the ribbon until when she takes off the ribbon she shows her true dark colors.  
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 think brown was dreaming because in the story Brown finds the pink ribbon belonging to his wife in the story, "But something fluttered lightly down through the air, and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon". When brown wakes up he sees his wife still wearing the pink ribbon. 
5. Who do you think the old man really is?  What textual clues tell you this?          I think the old man is a devil because the witch shouted devil towards the old man.
6. What does the staff represent?  Do you think the staff leads Brown onward or is the primary motivator Brown's own conscience/mind?                                         I think the staff represents darkness and i think this the primary motivator for Brown to accept the darkness. 
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?   If Brown had not ventured into the forest he would still be had faith in what he believes in and would still trust his wife and his fellow townspeople.