1. Nathaniel Hawthorne
– Born on July , in Salem, Massachussetts
Nathaniel Hawthorne was descended from the Hathornes and the Mannings. His father, Nathaniel Hathorne, Sr., was born in 1775 in Salem. Among his ancestors were Major William Hathorne (c. 1606/7-1681), known for his persecution of Quakers, and John Hathorne ( ), the son of Major William and Anna Hathorne and a magistrate of the Court of Oyer and Terminer who was the stern interrogator of the accused witches. Hawthorne was intrigued, even haunted, by his paternal ancestors, and they appear in his fiction on more than one occasion.

3. Young Goodman Brown Critical Thinking Questions
Explain what happened in the short story “Young Goodman Brown.”
What was Goodman Brown’s plan for the night? Were they good or evil?
What did Goodman Brown’s wife symbolize? Who or what did the traveler with the staff symbolize?
What did Goodman Brown mean when he said “My love and my Faith, of all nights in this year, this one night I must tarry away from thee.”?
Do you think that Goodman Brown dreamed everything? How did this event change his attitude about his wife and the townspeople? How did this event change him?
What conclusion can you draw from Young Goodman Brown’s trip to the woods?
Explain why you think Goodman Brown started out on this errand in the first place?
Why did Goodman Brown choose to continue on his errand, even after he was given plenty of chances to turn back?
Hawthorne was known for his critiques of Puritan New England life. Explain how “Young Goodman Brown” is a criticism of Puritan society and human nature.