Reading and interpretting this story was difficult for me, i actually had to research and look into the story using various resources to actually understand it.
(Answers after the jump)
1. I think the purpose of this story was to show that everyone and everything has flaws. Goodman brown was supposedly this holy man who loved God but he still got tempted by the ceremony and in the end he was rueful towards everyone in the village for being tempted the same way he was.
2. The meaning of Faiths name depends on the point of view your reading it, If your referring to Goodman Browns point of view then i would disagree considering he loses faith in her in the end but as a person in general i would say it could fit her, no she wasn't the "strong stable women" in what Brown saw in the end but because the question of it was a dream or reality still lingers i would have to say that Faiths name could indeed fit her in a different perspective. Faiths name seemed like it was suitable for her personality in the beginning, she was pure-hearted, innocent and caring, in the end she was just like any other human. Because of that Goodman Browns faith in her seemed to disappear when he learned she wasn't the ascetic women he thought she was.
3.After some thinking and research i discovered that Faiths bows symbolized her youth and purity. Thinking of the color pink and the form it was in ( a bow) the meaning of it makes sense. Usually when you think of the color pink you think of a little girls favorite color, which symbolizes youth the fact that it was a bow just confirmed it. The pink bow also symbolized purity because at a young age kids are considered innocent and pure.
4. I think that it was a figment of his imagination, the story stated how he saw trees burning and everybody in the town was there. But if it really was reality then what happened to the burning trees? and if everyone was really worshiping the devil than why would they all bother putting up an act that they're all so holy? Why would they keep up such a pure act for the sake of one person? It doesn't add up. And if the ceremony did take place why would nobody escort or take Goodman Brown home? Why would they leave him?
5. I think the old man symbolizes temptation/ the devil. Using my biblical knowledge, im aware that "In the beginning" when Adam and Eve were tempted in the garden of Eden they were tempted by a serpent, the shape of the staff, and he said reassuring words to make Adam and Eve feel more comfortable eating the forbidden fruit, in the story the elderly man stated how he was good friends with his parents and was persistent on getting Goodman Brown to take the staff. It was a form of reassurance to lure him into temptation. Even the text states he is the devil when Goody Cloyse states that he is indeed the devil.
6. The staff, as i stated earlier represents the devil, because the devil was described as a serpent in the beginning of the bible. I think the staff was the primary motivator of his own conscience mind, it opened his eyes and showed him the true evils that really walk the earth. Thinking of this reminds me of how the Bible states that eating the forbidden fruit opened the eyes of Adam and Eve to what sin is. I think this was the same scenario for Goodman Brown, he was only aware of the good things around him and didn't acknowledge sin until the staff showed him what it really is.
7. I don't think staying home would have changed anything, i think the trip was a revelation to Brown that the world isn't as perfect as he thought. I personally don't think it would have changed the outcome of the story in the end.
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