We will begin today with Washington Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker," a didactic tale satirizing the underlying greed of the Puritan world.
The story is a uniquely American take on the Faustian myth: an archetypal story in which the protagonist sells his or her soul to obtain something desirable from the devil.
We'll come back to this story in a moment.
Interestingly enough, the Faustian myth has woven itself into the fabric of American Music.
This is Robert Johnson, the most influential blues guitarist of the 20th century. He lived a short, mysterious life, but in those 27 years (FYI: He is the founding member of the 27 club, whose most recent inductee was Amy Winehouse), he managed to revolutionize the blues guitar. According to his contemporaries, Robert got really good really fast. In 1936, Robert penned the song, "Cross Road Blues." In the song, Robert claims to have sold his soul to the devil for his musical abilities.
Hey, remember this scene from O' Brother Where Art Thou?
My musical hero, Bob Dylan is aware of this myth's prominence in American music.
Back to "The Devil and Tom Walker."
In 1937, the story was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film: The Devil and Daniel Webster. The plot of the film is loosely based on Irving's short story, but the main character, a down-on-his-luck farmer who sells his soul for two cents, has a chance to win his soul back. But to do so, he must be tried by Ol' Scratch and Judge Hathorne (Nathaniel Hawthorne's grandfather, or as you all know him, the idiot judge from The Crucible.). The lawyer, Daniel Webster, agrees to be the protagonist's defense attorney. The following is his closing statement:
Darren Borsani
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Reading Questions
Where is young Goodman Brown headed after sunset?
Young Goodman Brown is headed to the woods for an appointment.
What signs do we see in the text that this destination is a frightening one on this particular night of the year?
In the text, it says, “ He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees
of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through, and closed
immediately behind. It was all as lonely as could be; and there is this peculiarity in such a
solitude, that the traveller knows not who may be concealed by the innumerable trunks and the
thick boughs overhead; so that with lonely footsteps he may yet be passing through an unseen
multitude.” (P. 1)
With what character is the leit-motif of the pink ribbon associated? Why is that an appropriate object for this character?
The character that the ribbon is associated with is faith, because this story is about a Good-man.
How is Brown's wife an allegorical figure given her name?
Faith is her name, which is also his responsibility to be good.
How is Brown's own name and title potentially allegorical? Where does Brown fit on the spectrum of black and white?
Browns name is “Good-Man,” which is pretty self explanitory, and Brown fits in the Gray area of Black and white.
Who does Brown meet first in the dark woods? Why do you suppose that figure appear the way the does in terms of clothing and mannerisms?
Brown first meets someone who appears to be himself, (the devil), because its scary if it appears to be himself, instead of a red beast.
What is this figure's connection with Brown's family, if we can believe the figure's claims?
His connection is that he has helped his father and grandfather commit crimes.
Who is Goody Cloyse? Why was she special to Brown in the development of his beliefs?
Goody cloyse was his spiritual adviser, and she helped him with his faith.
What falls from the sky that convinces Brown his wife is attending the witches' sabbat?
Familiar voices begin falling from the sky, including his wife”s.
Who attends the Satanic coven in the woods, i.e., what sort of people?
Daily reverent people of Salem attend the coven.
What happens when Brown calls out to Faith to look to heaven rather than partake of the unholy ceremony?
What happens is that the whole ceremony ceases, and he wakes up, on a rock.
How does this event--real or imagined--affect Brown's interactions with his community?
He knows that everyone is a hypocrite, and that they are in cahoots with the devil.
What is carved on Brown's tombstone when he dies? (trick question!)
There is nothing carved on his tombstone.
Food For Thought
How does the nighttime wilderness serve as a foil for the daytime village in this story?
In the daytime, they appear to be nice and holy, but at duck, they are evil and sinful.
Why is nothing carved on Brown's tombstone?
He was different and not cared about.
Why would Satan look so much like Brown himself? Why is that creepier than a demon with horns and pitchfork and cloven hooves?
He looks like Brown to creep him out, which in my opinion, he isn’t much creepier, because I would rather have a human being such as myself, opposed to such a horrid monster such as the devils usual form.
Brown declares that he has "lost his faith." Faith in what, exactly? God? Or something else?
He lost his faith in the town, because he thought they upheld the same thing as him.
When describing the events in the woods, count how many times Hawthorne uses ambiguous language in diction like seems, must, appears, perhaps, and maybe. Why does Hawthorne want to leave all this so ambiguous? Why not tell us clearly whether something is happening or not happening?
So its to give the reader more of an angle when reading, instead of leaving more broad and open ended.