Young Goodman Brown

Young Goodman Brown is a frightening story and could be considered a horror story. The horror lays in Young Goodman Brown's uncertainty as to the validity of the preceding events. Brown is left unsure of who he can trust and even worse, has no basis of morality. The people whom he trusted most now appear to be involved in the devilish activity of the night. The two people who seem to shock Brown the most are Faith, his wife, and Deacon Gookin. With the loss of these two people especially, Brown has to depend on himself only for moral consolation. The story, however, has some confusing elements. First, it is unclear who Young Goodman Brown is walking in the forest with in the beginning and it is also unclear why they are there. Once the reader dismisses these questions, the story captures the reader with its mysticism. The fact that the reader is left as confused as Brown is also another fault of the story. There is no allusion to reality of the night's events. The whole scene ends very abruptly. One instant, Brown is pleading with his wife to, "look up to heaven, and resist the wicked one" (47). The next moment Brown is staggering through the forest without any sign of what has just occurred. This incongruity, in one respect, contributes to the mystery of the story. But, more strongly, this incongruity confuses the reader. The story ends quickly and without any real reconciliation. It is difficult to even determine whether any change has taken place within Brown; that is, whether he is a dynamic character. The limited omniscient third person narration works well. It offers interesting insight to the reader on Brown's behalf and leaves the reader not knowing the state of mind or intentions of the townspeople. This uncertainty is necessary to build the suspense.

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