Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Literature Lesson Plans - Sykalo Eugen 2024

Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Grade Level: This lesson plan is intended for High School English, ideally 10th or 11th grade.

Subject: Literature

Time Allotment: Two class periods (approximately 1.5 hours)

Learning Objectives:

  • Students will be able to analyze the narrative structure and identify elements of ambiguity and symbolism.
  • Students will be able to interpret the characters and their motivations, particularly Young Goodman Brown's internal conflict.
  • Students will be able to discuss the central themes of faith, doubt, and the nature of good and evil.
  • Students will be able to consider the story's historical context (Puritan New England) and its exploration of societal anxieties.

Materials:

  • Copies of "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Whiteboard or projector
  • Markers or pens
  • Character analysis worksheet focusing on Young Goodman Brown (optional)
  • Historical background information on Puritan beliefs (optional)

Lesson Procedure:

Day 1: Ambiguity, Symbolism, and Character Analysis

  1. Introduction (10 minutes):
  • Briefly introduce Nathaniel Hawthorne and his association with Dark Romanticism and the exploration of sin and guilt.
  • Mention the importance of symbolism and allegory in Hawthorne's work.
  1. Active Reading and Annotation (20 minutes):
  • Distribute copies of "Young Goodman Brown."
  • Instruct students to read the story actively, paying close attention to:

✵ Unfamiliar words or phrases.

✵ Descriptions that create a sense of mystery and ambiguity (e.g., the dark forest, the strange ceremony).

✵ Symbolic elements (e.g., the pink ribbon, the staff).

  1. Symbolism Analysis (20 minutes):
  • Lead a class discussion focused on the story's symbolic elements:

✵ What is the significance of the dark forest? How does it contribute to the atmosphere?

✵ What might the pink ribbon symbolize? Consider innocence, faith, or societal expectations for women.

✵ How does the staff carried by the figures in the ceremony function as a symbol?

  1. Character Analysis (20 minutes):
  • Distribute a character analysis worksheet focusing on Young Goodman Brown (optional).
  • Individually or in small groups, students analyze:

✵ Young Goodman Brown's internal conflict: his faith versus his curiosity and doubts.

✵ How does his behavior towards Faith throughout the story reveal his anxieties?

✵ Is his experience a dream, a hallucination, or something more? Encourage different interpretations.

Day 2: Themes, Historical Context, and Interpretation

  1. Review (5 minutes):
  • Briefly review the previous day's discussion on symbolism and character analysis.
  1. Theme Discussion (25 minutes):
  • Lead a class discussion focused on the story's central themes:

✵ Faith and doubt: How does Hawthorne explore the challenges to maintaining faith in a strictly religious society?

✵ The nature of good and evil: Is the line between good and evil clear-cut, or is it blurred in the story?

✵ The exploration of sin and guilt: How does Young Goodman Brown's experience challenge his understanding of sin and his own potential for evil?

  1. Historical Context (15 minutes):
  • Briefly discuss the historical context of Puritan New England (optional, based on available resources).
  • How do the story's themes of religious doubt and societal pressures reflect anxieties of the Puritan era?
  1. Open-Ended Discussion and Interpretation (15 minutes):
  • Encourage an open-ended discussion about the story's ambiguous ending and multiple interpretations:

✵ What is the meaning of the final scene with Faith? Did Young Goodman Brown truly experience the devil's ceremony, or was it a figment of his imagination?

✵ How does the ambiguity contribute to the story's lasting impact?

Differentiation:

  • Provide scaffolding for reading comprehension by offering a vocabulary list of unfamiliar words or paraphrasing complex sentences.
  • Offer different options for the analysis worksheets (e.g., creating a chart comparing symbolic elements and their potential meanings, drawing a story map to track the plot and Young Goodman Brown's internal conflict).
  • Allow students to choose a specific symbol or scene to focus on and analyze its psychological and thematic significance.

Extension Activities:

  • Students can research the concept of the devil's bargain in literature and folklore.
  • Have students write a diary entry from Faith's perspective, reflecting on her experience waiting for Young Goodman Brown's return.