An Old Gothic Dark Romance

October 28, 2010

Witches Sabbath, the Devil, and hints of rebellion make Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story Young Goodman Brown a Halloween must-read. The story takes place in Salem with a community of god-fearing Puritans during the time of the infamous Salem witch trials. Permeated with symbolism, one may read it as an allegorical story focusing on temptation and our human tendency to prejudge others without proof. Young Goodman Brown is a gothic dark romance that includes dramatic descriptions of morbid, gloomy events combined with emotional and psychological torment.

Kelly D.
Oak Grove Branch