Young Goodman Brown is a conundrum!!! The plot has twists and turns that a reader can't even comprehend. The characters are mysterious and puzzling. My one major question while reading the story is about the plot line. What happens in the last paragraph or two? Why does it suddenly change from the scene in the woods to a fast-forwarding of Goodman Brown's life? I am in a quandry.
This story was very confusing. I agreed with eva im pretty lost on what happened to him and what happens in the forest? The inner circle will prob. fill me in on that tho.
I think the staff deffintially is a temptation for sin. Like the snake that tempted Adam and Eve to eat the apple. It is trying to tempt the man to go with the devil.
i think that the man offering the staff is the "bad" older version of goodman brown and that he keeps offering the staff as a choice of the wrong path.
I think that the staff is temptation. It is in the form that it was in when it tempted Adam and Eve, so i think the traveller is the devil and the staff that he keeps offering is tempatation.
I also agree with eva too. The story was very confusing and I dont really understand it at all. It had some unexpected twists and it was really werid how many different characters kept on showing up in the story.
I agree with Keri because when you look at stories from things such as the bible and scriptures, the snake is many times associated with the devil and temptaition.
the last couple paragraphs are very confusing. I re-read it, and now that i get it it seems really lame. the whole story of the events in the forest and the gathering were a dream he had, and the last paragraph is what the people in the story are actually like.
So is the snake like temptation, like in the garden of eden the devil was in the form of a snake, so is it the same thing? Also, scence it was in the town of Salem, are they saying that there is evil in the forest, because in the Crusible the girls where doing witchcraft in the forest so...
Faith is a symbol of God and the right choice. He is given the choice to choose between God and the devil in the sense of his wife and the man with the staff.
Thats a good question Carly, I was wondering the exact same thing. Did he go because he knew this was going to happen so then after he got there it scared him or was he going for an unknown reason?
Ciara I think the wife shows the faith of Goodman Brown. I think it shows how we have friends and family members that help us through the bad times and she was that for him.
I think it was a dream that represented what his concious really wanted and needed him to do. It would give him the strength to resist the temptation of the devil and sin.
I think it was a dream because at the end of the story all of the towns people didn't seem like anything had happened. The only one that seemed affected by it was Goodman Brown.
I agree with every one that believes that it was a dream, and that the snake represented the devil like in the garden of eden. Also, I think that in dream the devil tryed to corupt him and when to resist he becomes insain. Oh, new idea, so mabie the family had been cursed because of the judge and how so many people died because of him.
I think that Faith's pink ribons represent innocence. Little girls that are considered clueless, wear fun, and bright ribbons on their hair. The innocence could either work for or against Faith.
I think that the author is criticizing the fact that the puritans seemed so supersticious and were always worrying about the devil. In most cases, they would talk about the devil more than God. They lived in fear of the devil rather than thankfulness and happiness of God.
I think this story is trying to show that the devil or belif of the devil had to much power over the puritans. Ans also how it causes bad things, evils.
Goodman brown is taking a walk through the woods, and meets with a guy he knows. the guy he knows has a staff that is kind of snake-like, not really a snake. they walk a while, and bump into an old woman brown claims to have taught him a kind of witchcraft. the man lends her the staff, and walks on with brown. he breaks a branch off a maple tree, and uses that as a staff. Brown decides that he refuses to go on, the man gives brown the maple branch. Brown hears a minister and a deacon passing. he cries that he has lost faith. he gets up keeps going, running all the way now. he finds a meeting in a clearing, a man appears on top of a rock, and compells him to come foreward with a group of other converts. they partake in a ceremony, and Brown suddenly wakes up from his dream, and lives the rest of his life in the normal salem village. he dies in gloom.
Im pretty sure that the whole thing with the staff is that it represented the temptation of the devil. Because the man keeps on offering it to him over and over. Then when he somewhat accepts it the man makes a branch wither into a new one.
Young Goodman Brown was a very confusing story. I have questions all over every page. For example, on page two in the middle of the page it keep bringing random people onto their trip into the forest which makes me wonder who all is on the trip. He also keeps mentioning his "staff" which he gave no description of who was involved in the "staff" however it is mentioned numerous times in the story. I do not understand what happened in the story or what we are suppose to get out of it. In the story, it also mentiones a pink ribbon which could symbolize many things. I think that it symbolizes hope however in the next line, "My faith is gone! cried he, after one stupefied moment. There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for thee is this world given." The dark figure that appears is also confusing because he starts making statements to the group. However when I was reading it, it sounded like he was a dictator or something. All in all, I really did not understand any of this story and thought it was very hard to follow.
53 comments:
Young Goodman Brown is a conundrum!!! The plot has twists and turns that a reader can't even comprehend. The characters are mysterious and puzzling. My one major question while reading the story is about the plot line. What happens in the last paragraph or two? Why does it suddenly change from the scene in the woods to a fast-forwarding of Goodman Brown's life? I am in a quandry.
I didn't understand the end!? Did he just dream it all or did the people just pretend like nothing happened?
This story was very confusing. I agreed with eva im pretty lost on what happened to him and what happens in the forest? The inner circle will prob. fill me in on that tho.
If all the town was posesed, then why wasn't he?
What was the significance of the staff? Why does he keep offering to give it away? Is the staff a metaphore for the devil?
boo halloween!...
I was wondering about the staff too.I think that it is a signifigance of evil and the devil.
I feel that the snake is a motif and it is a metaphore for evil.
what was the significance of the Pink Ribbon?
I think the staff deffintially is a temptation for sin. Like the snake that tempted Adam and Eve to eat the apple. It is trying to tempt the man to go with the devil.
i think that the man offering the staff is the "bad" older version of goodman brown and that he keeps offering the staff as a choice of the wrong path.
i didnt understand the staff. did it represent the devil?!
I think that the staff is temptation. It is in the form that it was in when it tempted Adam and Eve, so i think the traveller is the devil and the staff that he keeps offering is tempatation.
I also agree with eva too. The story was very confusing and I dont really understand it at all. It had some unexpected twists and it was really werid how many different characters kept on showing up in the story.
I think everything that happened in the story was a dream and his imagination. Does anyone have any other ideas?
Was Faith at the meeting or was it just all in his mind. Could it have been his concious from commiting a sin?
I agree with Keri because when you look at stories from things such as the bible and scriptures, the snake is many times associated with the devil and temptaition.
the last couple paragraphs are very confusing. I re-read it, and now that i get it it seems really lame. the whole story of the events in the forest and the gathering were a dream he had, and the last paragraph is what the people in the story are actually like.
the towns people lived in salem, did they have to do with the witch trials?
i think that his wife is a symbol for hope and that he can either choose to go with the devil or with the faith in god or a higher being
What was with the woman that showed up in the middle of the story that taught Goodman Brown his catechism?
Barry, you said you get it, will you explain because I am still very confused about the story.
So is the snake like temptation, like in the garden of eden the devil was in the form of a snake, so is it the same thing? Also, scence it was in the town of Salem, are they saying that there is evil in the forest, because in the Crusible the girls where doing witchcraft in the forest so...
I think the wife was a good symbol. I thik she was in a way a symbol of goodness and purity. He was with her to keep him pure...maybe
Like keri i aslo didnt understand the ending. I think it might have been a dream, but im not really not sure about this whole story.
Do you think that his wife faith is a sign of his faith and hope? The light to guide him down the right path?
i agree with Maggie! that the snake was associated with the devil, in the bible.
What was the whole point of YOung Goodman Brown going into the forest in the first place?
i think it was a dream
I think the wife maybe was put into the story to balence him out, like good an bad.
Faith is a symbol of God and the right choice. He is given the choice to choose between God and the devil in the sense of his wife and the man with the staff.
Thats a good question Carly, I was wondering the exact same thing. Did he go because he knew this was going to happen so then after he got there it scared him or was he going for an unknown reason?
why do think the whole thing was like a dream if you think it was a dream?
Ciara
I think the wife shows the faith of Goodman Brown.
I think it shows how we have friends and family members that help us through the bad times and she was that for him.
I really did not understand the end and what happened. What is up with the staff too?
i believe that his wife was trying to prove that there is such things as faith and hope.
i think that the pink ribbion represents the puritity of the wife, but also for him to remember his wife.
I think it was a dream that represented what his concious really wanted and needed him to do. It would give him the strength to resist the temptation of the devil and sin.
I think it was a dream because at the end of the story all of the towns people didn't seem like anything had happened. The only one that seemed affected by it was Goodman Brown.
Thanks nacarid. Thats what i was thinking to.
I think the author was critisizing the Puritan society's obsession with fear of the devil.
Does the fact that his father and his grandfather took part in the "Witch-meeting" change Goodman Brown's persperctive on who he really is.
I agree with every one that believes that it was a dream, and that the snake represented the devil like in the garden of eden. Also, I think that in dream the devil tryed to corupt him and when to resist he becomes insain. Oh, new idea, so mabie the family had been cursed because of the judge and how so many people died because of him.
I think that Faith's pink ribons represent innocence. Little girls that are considered clueless, wear fun, and bright ribbons on their hair. The innocence could either work for or against Faith.
I think that the author is criticizing the fact that the puritans seemed so supersticious and were always worrying about the devil. In most cases, they would talk about the devil more than God. They lived in fear of the devil rather than thankfulness and happiness of God.
I think this story is trying to show that the devil or belif of the devil had to much power over the puritans. Ans also how it causes bad things, evils.
Goodman brown is taking a walk through the woods, and meets with a guy he knows. the guy he knows has a staff that is kind of snake-like, not really a snake. they walk a while, and bump into an old woman brown claims to have taught him a kind of witchcraft. the man lends her the staff, and walks on with brown. he breaks a branch off a maple tree, and uses that as a staff. Brown decides that he refuses to go on, the man gives brown the maple branch. Brown hears a minister and a deacon passing. he cries that he has lost faith. he gets up keeps going, running all the way now. he finds a meeting in a clearing, a man appears on top of a rock, and compells him to come foreward with a group of other converts. they partake in a ceremony, and Brown suddenly wakes up from his dream, and lives the rest of his life in the normal salem village. he dies in gloom.
I think Hawthorne was trying to show how we always trying to find the bad in things.
What Berry said.
If the author is critisizing the fear that the Puritans have what would he say about our society and all the fears we have?
the story physically says that brown woke up from his dream, i.e., it is a dream.
Im pretty sure that the whole thing with the staff is that it represented the temptation of the devil. Because the man keeps on offering it to him over and over. Then when he somewhat accepts it the man makes a branch wither into a new one.
Young Goodman Brown was a very confusing story. I have questions all over every page. For example, on page two in the middle of the page it keep bringing random people onto their trip into the forest which makes me wonder who all is on the trip. He also keeps mentioning his "staff" which he gave no description of who was involved in the "staff" however it is mentioned numerous times in the story. I do not understand what happened in the story or what we are suppose to get out of it. In the story, it also mentiones a pink ribbon which could symbolize many things. I think that it symbolizes hope however in the next line, "My faith is gone! cried he, after one stupefied moment. There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for thee is this world given." The dark figure that appears is also confusing because he starts making statements to the group. However when I was reading it, it sounded like he was a dictator or something. All in all, I really did not understand any of this story and thought it was very hard to follow.
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