Question 2: In Hawthorne’s story “Young Goodman Brown”, does it matter whether or not the protagonist, Goodman Brown, Dreamt the events in the story?
Introduction
Hawthorne‘s “Young Goodman Brown” (YGB) is such a richly layered, compelling and compact masterpiece that lends itself to multiple interpretations and dimensions of meaning when read with different approaches. It is all at once: a satirical allegory, a gothic story, a psychological investigation of Hawthorne’s own mind, a historical treatise of American Puritanism, a feminist record of woman’s plight in Puritan Times, a condensed dispensation of Hawthorne’s philosophical and religious beliefs and also a vent for his own personal catharsis.
The question of whether the protagonist, YGB, dreamt the events in the story will be evaluated according to the following three criteria: Firstly, whether it is relevant to the various interpretative approaches. Secondly, whether its adds to the thickness of meaning in the story. Thirdly, and lastly, whether it has any
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The Devil’s disclosure to YGB that his church leaders in the likes of Goody Cloyse, the Minister and Deacon Gookin are members of his Black Sabbath congregation by night must have caused him to be “overburdened with the heavy sickness of his heart” (page 6, para 1, line 2) for they have betrayed Goodman‘s trust and respect for the Church’s mandate”.
Confrontation with Humankind
YGB realizes the conflicting nature of his loved ones and respected church leaders. His mind is unable to accept their hypocrisy and he lost his belief in the goodness of humanity. He became socially withdrawn and isolated from Faith, his children and church community. On his epitaph, there is “no hopeful verse upon is tombstone” (page 10, para 1, lines 3-4) when Goodman passes