Teaching Young Goodman Brown

Here at Shmoop HQ, we love Nathaniel Hawthorne's Puritanical literature like most love John Green. That being said, we understand that not everyone feels that way about good ol' Nate Dogg. That's why we're here to help teach "Young Goodman Brown," his 1835 short story about the grip of the past, the power of social expectations, and the transformation of a single person's entire way of living.

Yeah, not a day at the beach. (And just try wearing protagonist Goodman Brown's buckle shoes and heavy wool trousers to the beach. We dare you.) But with our guides, the story will become universally relatable—and, dare we say, enjoyable.

In this guide, you'll find

• instructions for a structured debate about the story's reality—was it all a dream, or what?
• a scaffolded research project framing the story's events in light of Hawthorne's fave source of inspiration, the Salem Witch Trials.
• a Top Ten Witches list. Because seriously...why not?

So what do you say? Are you ready to join us and get down with "Brown"?

What's Inside Shmoop's Literature Teaching Guides

Shmoop is a labor of love from folks who love to teach. Our teaching guides will help you supplement in-classroom learning with fun, engaging, and relatable learning materials that bring literature to life.

Inside each guide you'll find quizzes, activity ideas, discussion questions, and more—all written by experts and designed to save you time. Here are the deets on what you get with your teaching guide:

• 13 – 18 Common Core-aligned activities to complete in class with your students, including detailed instructions for you and your students
• Discussion and essay questions for all levels of students
• Reading quizzes for every chapter, act, or part of the text
• Resources to help make the book feel more relevant to your 21st-century students
• A note from Shmoop’s teachers to you, telling you what to expect from teaching the text and how you can overcome the hurdles

Want more help teaching Teaching Young Goodman Brown?

Check out all the different parts of our corresponding learning guide.