“Young Goodman Brown”
Character Relationships
Answer the following questions in complete sentences:
1. The “fellow-traveler” that Young Goodman Brown experiences is introduced as “bearing
a considerable resemblance” to him. Later, the reader finds out that the traveler actually
appears to look like Young Goodman Brown’s grandfather. How does this fact and
Brown’s realization that his family was consorting with the devil affect his thinking?
2. Three characters – Goody Cloyse, Deacon Gookin, and the minister – all seem to be
consorting with the devil. What kind of affect does this have on Young Goodman
Brown?
3. Young Goodman Brown’s wife, Faith, symbolizes the faith he has in God. Describe the
complexities of the relationship between YGB and Faith, and how his encounter with the
devil changes his interaction with her.
4. Hawthorne states, “The fiend in his own shape is less hideous than when he rages in the
breast of man.” At this point in the story, Young Goodman Brown believes his “Faith is
gone” and resigns to follow the devil, almost seeming to lose his mind. How does the
statement above reflect the changing relationship between Young Goodman Brown and
the Devil?