Introduction

Essential Question: How does Romanticism reflect the push for a distinct American identity?

Nathanial HawthorneNathanial Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. His great-great-great-grandfather was one of the first settlers in Dorchester, and he was an important member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The strict doctrines of Puritanism ran deep in his family.

Hawthorne changed the spelling of his last name when he learned that his relative John Hathorne was one of the judges who presided over the Salem witch trials.

When a child became unexplainably ill and had fitful seizures, talk and speculation of witchcraft grew. Hundreds of people were accused of witchcraft in 1692 in the heavily Puritan populated Massachusetts. If found guilty, the individuals were executed by means of hanging.

Because there was an Indian war raging nearby, people assumed that the devil was close at hand. Hence, nineteen accused witches were hanged on Gallows Hill in 1692.

In this lesson, you will be reading a short story by Nathanial Hawthorne called "Young Goodman Brown."

 

 

Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Evaluate various symbols and their importance.
  • Determine the effectiveness of plot development.

The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: English Language Arts, Grade 10 objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, and 35.

 

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