Young Goodman Brown, English homework help

“Young Goodman Brown” Short Answer Assignment
ENG 250 – American Literature
Graded out of 40
Review the details for this paper assignment. Once you have completed the paper and saved as a Word
document, you must submit the paper to your instructor via Turnitin (see “Young Goodman Brown”
Response – Submission in the Assignments for Week 2.) 

Assignment Instructions:
For this assignment, you will read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” (DiYanni, p.
391-399). After reading the story, analyze the following elements according to the guidelines and
questions below:

 1. Reference Citation: Complete an APA style reference page citation for the story, including the
title, author, and appropriate publication information.

 2. Plot: Summarize the story. What are the main incidents in the story? What is the climax of the
story? How does the story end?

 3. Structure: How are the incidents in the story arranged (for example, chronologically)? Are there
any instances of flashbacks and foreshadowing?

 4. Type of Story: What type of short fiction is this? Is this a parable, fable, or short story, or does it
share elements of several of these? Be sure to support your answer with reasons for your
viewpoint.

 5. Characters: Who are the main characters in the story? What adjectives would you use to
characterize them? Who are the other characters, and what are their roles or impact on the story?
How would you describe the way that the characters speak (fast, slow, elegantly, lightly, angrily,
etc.)? 

6. Setting: Where does the story take place? At what time does the story take place? Is the setting
symbolic? What adjectives would you use to describe the setting? Explain the setting vividly.

 7. Symbolism: Are there any objects or events that serve as symbols in the story? What do the
symbols represent? How does the author make this clear to the reader? 

8. Language and Style: How is the language appropriate for the audience? How is the language
appropriate for the story itself? How would you describe the author’s style (elegant, formal,
informal, harsh, cold, short, flowery, etc.)? Use specific examples to explain your answer. 

9. Theme: Is there a theme (or, in the case of a children’s story, a moral) to the story? What is it? If
there is no theme/moral, why do you think there isn’t one? Does this theme/moral challenge or
confirm your values? 

10. Historical Context: In your opinion, how does this story relate to its social and historical context?
What is Hawthorne trying to say, if anything, about this period of time in American history?

 © Hondros College 

Make sure to include a separate section, with a label, for each point listed above. You will lose
points for combining sections, or for not labeling each section. Separate your answers, even if you feel as
though you are repeating yourself. Answers that only refer to another section of the assignment, such as
“see the answer for Language and Tone,” are unacceptable. The lengths of each answer will vary;
however, be as thorough as possible, try to answer all of the questions within each category, and
apply the concepts discussed in your textbook and the course PowerPoints. Write as much as is
necessary to write to completely answer each question, but a 4-6 sentence paragraph will probably be
appropriate for each section.
Grading:
Each question will be graded individually out of three, and the sum of those grades will make up the
bulk of the assignment grade. A grade of 3/3 is reserved for thorough, well-developed answers; a grade
of 2/3 means the answer missing some detail, but is good overall; a grade of 1/3 means the answer
deserves some credit, but needs some major work; and a grade of 0/3 means that the section either is
missing or doesn’t engage the questions at all.
Be certain to also revise and edit properly, as well as follow the formatting guidelines noted above.
Additionally, the assignment should include an APA formatted title page, Times New Roman 12 point
font, and 1inch margins. An abstract is not necessary.
Please see the rubric below for detailed grading information.
“Young Goodman Brown” Short Answer Rubric Possible
Points
Points
Earned
Effectiveness of answers: The student answers all the questions
based on the lectures and textbook readings, providing clear support
and logic for his or her ideas. This is the sum of individual grades
for each section.
30
Assignment is edited and revised properly: The essay is written
with clear, interesting, sound sentences; appropriate tone; a lack of
grammatical, mechanical, typographical, and punctuation errors.
7
Assignment follows formatting guidelines: The assignment has
an APA-style title page, uses Times New Roman 12 font, has
appropriate margins, and otherwise acceptably meets APA
standards. In addition, the assignment offers correct headers for
each section of the paper, and clearly delineates one answer from
another.
3
TOTAL: 40