write an analysis on the story “Young Goodman Brown.”
Assignment: You will write an analysis on the story “Young Goodman Brown.”
Remember, an analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts,
evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
Critical papers analyze or explain some important point about a piece of literature. Your
paper must be a minimum of 4 complete pages-excluding the work cited page- to be
acceptable and you must use at least 10 direct quotes to substantiate your claim. Your
paper needs to comply with MLA standards and must be written in 12 point, Times New
Roman.
For this assignment, we will read three critical articles that discuss and evaluate Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s story “Young Goodman Brown.” We will learn to thoughtfully read critical
commentary and to use secondary source information to substantiate the essay’s claim.
For this essay, you will use evidence from all three articles we will read in class and
evaluate their significance as you consider how to methodically incorporate the
information to substantiate your overall claim-your thesis.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story “Young Goodman Brown” is a tale that explores good and
evil. At the beginning of the tale, it appears as if Goodman Brown sees himself and his
community as good, humble people; yet when he partakes on a journey through the evil
forest, he realizes that humanity is unable to escape sin; that it is human nature to commit
sin. His decision to meet with the Devil could indicate Brown’s ambiguity as it pertains
to his pious nature; however, his devotion to continue the journey elucidates Goodman
Brown’s cultural consciousness, with the realization that humanity’s depravity is
pervasive. Goodman Brown ends the tale discerning that evil is ubiquitous, though it is
important to note that perhaps the malevolent nature Brown perceives humanity is guilty
of committing he too is guilty of committing. His aberrant behavior is evident in his
willingness to meet with the Devil. The Devil is not merely a manifestation of evil, but
rather his presence introduces evil as an abstract idea. At the end of the story, Goodman
Brown is unable to forgive the townspeople for the sins he perceives they have
committed. Critically evaluate Goodman Brown’s journey through the forest by
exploring the evident struggle between good and evil.
You will incorporate evidence from all 3 critical essays to support your overall
claim: “Young Goodman Brown’s ‘Heart of Darkness’” by Paul J Hurley; “The Problem
of faith in ‘Young Goodman Brown’” by Leo B Levy; and “Ambivalence in ‘Young
Goodman Brown’” by Walter J Paulits.
Submission Requirements: The essay must comply with the pagination requirement: a
minimum of 4 complete pages-excluding the work cited page- to be acceptable and you
must use at least 10 direct quotes to substantiate your claim. The essay will be doublespaced
and comply with MLA standards: it must be written in 12 point, Times New
Roman. Please label the outline and the final draft appropriately. For instance, you will
provide your name and then indicate the document type: John Doe Outline and John Doe
Essay 2. In addition, you are to write your essay in the third person and you are to
remain in the literary present tense.
You must submit the final draft and a typed outline onto Eagle Online. All papers must
be submitted to Turnitin. Papers that are not submitted to Turnitin will receive a 0 on the
assignment.
Reminder:
• Failure to comply with the minimum page requirements will constitute an
automatic 0 (zero) on the assignment.
• Failure to include a works cited page or to parenthetically cite source material
correctly per MLA specifications will result in an automatic 0 (zero) on the
assignment, as that is plagiarism.
• Failure to submit the outline as indicated on the outline worksheet will adversely
affect your grade.
• Failure to abide by MLA style requirements will adversely affect your grade.
Guidelines:
• Use Times New Roman, 12pt.
• Double-space.
• Indent for paragraphs.
• Use MLA style for heading and format: 1” margins on all sides, place your name,
my name, your class and section number, and the date at the top left hand corner
of the first page. Make sure your last name appears in the top right hand corner of
the page along with the page number.
• Your idea should be central.
• You must cite from the text in order to support your claims about the text.
• Use MLA style to cite and document your sources: parenthetical documentation
and works cited.
• You must have a Works Cited page with the correct information and formatting.
This element will be included in your final grade.
