Lesson 3.02: Is There Something to Hide?

This lesson contains the Romantic short story, by Nathanial Hawthorne, "Young Goodman Brown." You will encounter several literary devices. Let's look at those below.

Can you identify any common symbols? A symbol is a word, object, event, person, or animal, that stands for another word, object, event, person, or animal. It can be tangible (that means you can touch it) or intangible. One common symbol(probably the one you identified) is a rectangular piece of red, white, and blue cloth that is tangible. The American flag symbolizes freedom, liberty, independence, and the United States of America.

An allegory is a narrative that serves as an extended metaphor. The purpose of an allegory is to tell a story that includes characters, setting, and symbols. These elements are used to represent abstract ideas of moral qualities or historical figures and events that teach the readers a lesson. Can you think of an allegorical story you've heard as a child? "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing."

Irony is a literary device used to make things not what they seem or the exact opposite of what appears to be. There are three types of irony: situational, verbal, and dramatic. Watch "Literary Devices: Symbol & Irony" (1:54) to learn about this creative technique that relies on compression.

Verbal irony is when someone says something different from what he or she really means. Verbal irony relies heavily on sarcasm. For example, if Jamie has been waiting outside for two hours in the pouring rain for her brother to pick her up, she might be a little mad. When she gets into the car, she says, "Thanks for picking me up on time!" Did she mean that? No way!

Situational irony is when the outcome of a situation is totally unexpected and not anticipated based on earlier events. For example, there is a fire that began in a building you are in; you want to alert everyone, so you go to the nearest fire alarm. You then see it says, "Out of service." Did you expect that? No, you expect it to work.

Dramatic irony is when the audience or reader knows more about the situation than the characters do. This adds suspense, especially in scary movies, or it could add humor in comedies. For example, in a horror movie, the audience can see the killer hiding behind the door, but the girl walking into the room doesn't know he is there. Do you yell at the TV telling the girl not to go into the room?

Let's review! A symbol is a word or object that represents something beyond its literal level; an allegory uses many symbols in its narrative to go beyond the literal level. Symbolism, allegory, and irony allow writers to create layers of meaning into their work.

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The first style of Romantic literature you will read is Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young GoodmanA polite address such as Mister. Brown." A few characters you will meet along the way are Young Goodman Brown, his newly wed wife Faith, and a mysterious man in the forest holding a staff. Some of the minor characters you will meet are the Constable, who is a person in law enforcement, the Deacon, who holds a position in the church, the Goody, which is an abbreviation of goodwifeA polite greeting such as Mrs. or Miss today., the Reverend, who is the pastor.

"Young Goodman Brown" was first published anonymouslyHaving an unacknowledged name. in the magazine New England in 1835. A decade later, the story was included in a collection of Hawthorne's short stories that was published under his own name. The setting for the story is 17th century Puritan New England, where Hawthorne's great-great-great-grandfather was a judge.

Read "Young Goodman Brown."

Listen to "Young Goodman Brown."

The story, which is a little ambiguousunclear, begins at night with Mr. Brown telling his new bride that he has an errand to run in the forest. The readers are unsure of the errand as well as why he chooses nightfall to leave.

As a whole, "Young Goodman Brown" is an allegory for not abandoning Christian faith. Hawthorne creates several symbols to illustrate this meaning. For example, Brown's name may symbolize youthfulness and everyman. He is allegorical for the struggle between good and evil.

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