Research Paper on “Young Goodman Brown”
Goodman Brown, the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story entitling his name, seemingly is a firm believer in the doctrine and teachings of the Puritan religious faith. This belief system is unshakable in its certainty about the nature of humankind, and Brown himself appears to share an absolute sense of this belief system’s verities. He embarks on a mysterious mission one fateful evening, however, and from it becomes a recluse from his community of fellow believers, distant from involvement with all people, even his wife. Yet the ambiguous narrative that relates his forest experience promotes uncertainty, so much so that the unseen narrative voice calls into question whether Brown has actually lived the experience or has dreamed it, by which the narrator suggests a conjuring of the experience from his own imagination. What is clear, however, is that Brown is convinced that his experience has been real, with fateful consequences that change his life completely.
In a researched response writing, address yourself to answering the following questions: 1. What does the Puritan faith teach its followers about the nature of humankind? 2. What importance does the supernatural have within the Puritan belief system? 3. What connection do you find between the Puritan religion, the Salem witch trials, and the story? 4. What is the story’s central theme?
Research for this assignment may be done exclusively on the Internet, though other sources can be used if desired. Make use of any sources that help you in explaining your answers with direct references to these sources through quoted text. Guidance for citing these sources is found in Chapter 3 of your textbook entitled “Documenting Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism.” Only sources that are actually referenced in your paper should appear on your Works