"Young Goodman Brown"

1. What do you think Hawthorne’s purpose was for writing this story?
2. Hawthorne states that Brown’s wife is “aptly named,” Faith (i.e., her name fits her personality).  After reading the story, do you agree?  Does Brown have true “faith” in her? 
3. What do you think the pink ribbons are meant to signify?
4. Who do you think the old man Brown meets on the road really is?  Look closely at the words used to describe him.  What do they signify?
5. What does the staff represent?  Do you think the staff leads Brown onward in his journey or does Brown’s own conscience/mind lead him forward?
6. If Brown had not ventured into the forest, how would his life have been different? If Brown had stayed home with Faith, do you think he would have gone on trusting her and the other townspeople?
7. Was everything Brown witnessed a figment of his own imagination, something conjured by evil, or a dream?  Support your answer with passages from the text.
8. What do you think Hawthorne was saying to his contemporary audience?