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 about the precise events of the protagonist’s nocturnal journey. Who does Goodman Brown really meet in the forest? Was his experience in the forest a dream or 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, which favors optical illusions, his use of dubious descriptive language, and the narrator's doubt about the reality of events to explore the ramifications of perceived reality. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay One of the most noticeable elements of "Young Goodman Brown" is the disturbing setting, which plays a key role in the story's ambiguity. The deep, dark forest that Goodman Brown enters on his nightly journey sets the stage for the doubt that will consume his mind for the rest of his life. The darkness of the dense forest serves as a veil so that the reader does not truly know the reality of who or what Goodman Brown encounters on his hike. As the narrator states, "The traveler knows not who might be hidden by the countless trunks and thick branches above his head; so with solitary steps he might yet pass through an invisible multitude" (610). From the moment Brown enters the forest, Hawthorne alerts the reader to the fact that the idea of ​​doubt plays a central role in the story. The narrator also explains that the “uncertain light” can allow for “ocular deception” (614). This statement serves as a cornerstone from which the reader can construct a case for disbelief in the reality of the night's events. Another example of deliberate ambiguity through a possible illusion occurs when Brown's senses detect figures and events throughout the story. “He would have sworn…that he recognized the voices of the minister and Deacon Gookin” (614). However, even in this example, when Brown seems certain of their existence, he never sees the figures clearly. His line of vision is obscured by the darkness of the night and the growth of the forest, and so his recognition of his fellow citizens is based only on his sense of hearing. Hawthorne purposely sets the story deep in the forest, an environment that fosters a sense of illusion and doubt in both Brown and the reader. Likewise, Hawthorne creates ambiguity through dubious descriptions of the characters Brown encounters on his journey. Even when Brown sees figures in the forest; the narrator describes them just as "figures" - an ambiguous term in and of itself. The term "figure" connotes a representation of a thing or person and does not describe the thing or person itself. When 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 actual person (617). Hawthorne deliberately describes the events and characters of the story. in such a way as to raise questions in 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 right beside me,” a figure appears (611). Because Brown's question precedes the appearance of his traveling companion, it leads the reader to wonder whether the traveling companion is really the devil, a fact never confirmed by the narrator. Furthermore, the narrator notes that Brown and this male figure “may have been mistaken for.