Nathaniel Hawthorne's popular short story "Young Goodman Brown" incites mystery and intrigue in its readers for several reasons. “Young Goodman Brown” produces a multitude of questions and interpretations regarding the precise events of the protagonist’s nighttime journey. Who does Goodman Brown actually meet in the forest? Was his experience in the forest a dream or a reality? This ambiguity is central to the shape of the story as a whole. Hawthorne intentionally creates ambiguity in "Young Goodman Brown" with the forest setting, ripe for optical illusions, his use of questionable descriptive language, and the narrator's doubt as to the reality of events to explore the ramifications of perceived reality . plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One of the most notable elements of “Young Goodman Brown” is the strange setting, which plays a key role in the ambiguity of history. The deep, dark forest that Goodman Brown enters during his nighttime journey sets the stage for the doubt that will consume his mind for the rest of his life. The darkness of the thick forest acts as a veil so that the reader does not truly know the reality of who or what Goodman Brown encounters on his excursion. As the narrator says: “The traveler does not know who may be hidden by the innumerable trunks and thick branches above; thus, with solitary steps, he can still cross an invisible multitude” (610). From the moment Brown enters the forest, Hawthorne alerts the reader to the fact that the notion of doubt plays a central role in the story. The narrator also explains that the “uncertain light” can enable “ocular deception” (614). This statement provides a building block from which the reader can build a case of disbelief as to the reality of the night's events. Another example of deliberate ambiguity through possible illusion occurs when Brown's senses detect characters and events throughout the story. “He could have sworn...that he recognized the voices of the minister and Deacon Gookin” (614). Yet even in this example, when Brown seems sure of their existence, he never sees the numbers clearly. His field of vision is obscured by the darkness of night and forest vegetation, and his recognition of his fellow citizens therefore relies solely on his sense of hearing. Hawthorne deliberately sets the story in the depths of the forest, an environment that fosters a sense of illusion and doubt in both Brown and the reader. Similarly, Hawthorne creates ambiguity through questionable descriptions of the characters Brown encounters on his journey. Even when Brown sees figures in the forest; the narrator describes them as “figures” – an ambiguous term in itself. The term "figure" means a representation of a thing or person and does not describe the thing or person itself. In describing the characters Brown encounters along the way, Hawthorne also uses the term "face", which also implies the appearance or representation of a person, and not necessarily the real person (617). Hawthorne deliberately describes the events and characters in the story. in a way that provokes questions from the reader. A great example of another questionable description is when Brown first meets his traveling companion. Upon entering the forest, after Brown asks, “What if the devil himself were by my side,” a figure appears (611). Because Brown's question precedes the appearance of his traveling companion, it leads the reader to.