Reality And Reality In Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story of Young Goodman Brown is very interesting. It provides a question of what is reality and what is made up in the mind. Young Goodman Brown, being in the time period he is in, gives the knowledge that religion has a large impact on his life. That being said, having the devil be something that is presented, whether in dreams or in real life, is something that isn’t taken lightly. Stories like this can have an impact on how the story is perceived at the end depending on the the reader.

In the story, “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main character, Goodman Brown, is presented with the problem; Was this all a dream? or was this real life? When reading “Young Goodman Brown” it took time to get to the point where it seemed that it was merely in his mind and not actually happening. In the end it seems it should have been known that it was in his mind once Goody Cloyse talked about her broom being stolen, honestly though it seemed very present to me.

It vexed him the more, because he could have sworn, were such a thing possible, that he recognized the voices of the minister and Deacon Gookin, jogging along quietly, as they were wont to do, when bound to some ordination or ecclesiastical council. While yet within hearing one of the riders stopped to pluck a switch.” (383). From that point on it was very present that the story was completely in his head, whether that be from him feeling guilty of leaving Faith to run an errand when she asked him not to leave her, or maybe it was him just falling asleep from being tired from his walk. Unfortunately we will never know the