"Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne Close Reading Worksheet

Support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions to complement the short story “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A detailed answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:

• Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
• Determine the narrative’s dominant conflict
• Analyze how complex characters interact and develop
• Explore character motivations
• Apply knowledge of literary devices including anaphora, personification, foreshadowing, simile, and onomatopoeia
• Articulate the intended effect of the author’s diction in context
• Identify several ways in which the author applies the concept of ambiguity to the narrative
• Explain how the narrative is consistent with the conventions of Dark Romanticism (Gothic literature)
• Cite textual evidence in support of claims
• Write with clarity, accuracy, and precision