Blog Question #7: Second Half

It's very difficult to pick just one text from all the short stories, poems, and two plays we studied this semester.  I wish I could pick one of each.  But since I must only choose one-- surprising, I think the text that will stay with me would be "Young Goodman Brown" by N. Hawthorne.  It's surprising because I didn't like it at all the first time I skimmed it.  I thought it too "singsong" with its allegorical characters and symbols like the pink ribbon for the protagonist's wife.  Really.  That irritated my feminist mind.  Sure, let pink stand for the lady.  I read it again before class and my opinion didn't change.  But then we discussed it and I saw I hadn't really read it.  I hadn't looked deeply into it.  During the class discussion, I started to gain an appreciation for the story. I'm amazed at times by the students' ideas and your ability to glean the best from them.  It all worked for me with this story.

 When I chose "Young Goodman Brown" for my essay, I explored articles written by "experts."  I read different perspectives and finally had to choose ones that would help me write my thesis. I can see why "Young Goodman Brown" has stood the test of time.  He is Everyone.  We all do battle within ourselves with our polar natures of good and evil.  This conflict makes each of us a person and which side wins each momentary battle makes each of us a certain kind of a person. Sure, we all have evil within us, but what he didn't recognize is that we all have good also.  That perspective will remain with me the next time I make a leap of judgment on another mortal.