Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Characters

Young Goodman Brown: He is a young man from Salem and a descendant from many Puritan ancestors. He is a devote Christian.

Faith: she is Brown`s young wife. 

The Devil: He first appears as a mysterious man that carries a serpent shaped scepter. He was close friends with Goodman`s father and grandfather.

Goody Cloyse: She was Goodman Brown`s catechism teacher.

The minister: He is a Puritan highly respected by Goodman Brown.

Deacon Gookin: He is a Puritan highly respected by Brown.

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Plot Elements

Exposition: Goodman Brown is going on a journey to meet up with a man for business purposes. When he is about to leave his house her wife Faith doesn’t want him to go, but he goes anyway.

Rising Action: Brown meets up with a Mysterious man in a haunted-like forest who carries a scepter and claims that he was close friends Goodman Brown`s father and grandfather. Brown decides not to trust the strange man and refuses to continue walking so he turns back home. Before Brown turns back, he sees Goody Cloyse, his catechism teacher, talking to the Mysterious man which revealed himself as the Devil.

Climax:When Goodman Brown is heading towards home, he is caught up in a diabolic conversion ritual. He finds himself alongside his wife Faith, his dead father, the church`s minister, besides many other religious people. 

Resolution: Brown ends up resisting the Devil`s temptation and runs back home. When he returns to Salem, he becomes distrustful of everyone and he even avoided blessings even though everything is back to normal.    

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Summary:

This story is about a young man, Goodman Brown. He was a pious man who lived with his wife Faith in Salem. One night he is invited to meet up with a stranger in the forest, however this experience changed his life forever. The Mysterious man he had a meeting with turned out to be the devil himself, and he shows him all the bad things that people from his family and congregation had committed. After that he is present in some kind of ritual, not knowing if it was an illusion or something real, he manages to escape and goes back to town, but he realizes he had changed, and he is no longer the same person, because he had lost trust in people around him.

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Analysis and Feelings

I didn’t quite like the story, because it was about a good man tempted by the devil, but at the same time it shows the hypocrisy of some people in the world that have two faces. Sometimes they pretend to be someone in front of others, and they do terrible things when no one is watching. I think Goodman Brown was indeed an innocent man who used to have good opinion of others, but this experience changed him and made him distrustful of people.
I think the author exaggerates a little bit, but it is to prove his point that one never gets to know the other persons and that there is evil roaming inside them. 

The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs

-Characters

Mr. White: he is an old gentleman who suffers terrible consequences for using the cursed power of the Monkey`s paw.            

Mrs. White: she is Mr. White`s wife and Herbert`s mother. She is heartbroken for the death.

Herbert White: Beloved adult son of the Whites. He died in the factory he works in, for underestimating the power of the Monkey`s paw.

Sargent-Major Morris: Old friend of the Whites. he has fantastic stories to tell about his experience in India. He recommends The Whites to burn the Monkey`s paw when he brings it to them.

The stranger: he comes to the White`s house to tell them that his son was crushed to death by a machinery at work, however they are awarded with 200 pounds

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Plot Elements

Exposition: The Whites are waiting for a guest who is an old friend of them.

Rising action:  Mr. White obtains the Monkey`s paw from Morris after getting teased by his son.

Climax: Mr. White`s son Herbert dies, because a machinery malfunctioned at his workplaces.

Falling Action: The company`s representative told the Whites the accident, and was shock to see that he won 200 pounds, so he remembered of what he had wished for and suddenly fainted.   

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Brief Summary

The setting takes place in a stormy night at a house, where The Whites were waiting for an old friend of them to come. The guest turned out to be Sargent-Major Morris, he told many great adventures that he had in India, and he also mentioned something about an object called The Monkey’s paw. He said that a spell was put in it by an old fakir, and that spell had the power to grant three wishes. The Whites end up keeping the paw even though they were told to burn it. Mr. White's first wish was to receive  £200  for their debt. Their wish was granted in an unexpected way, which ended up having their son slaughtered by a machinery at his work place.
The company's representative told the Whites about the accident of their son Herbert, and he rewards them with  £200. Mr. White fainted after remembering his wish, and the couple was heartbroken. After several weeks of distress, they wish to bring his son back, suddenly they hear knocking in the door. Mrs. White comes running in a flash to the door, meanwhile Mr. White searched for the Monkey`s paw, since he knew danger was arising. As soon as Mrs. White opened the lock, Mr. White had used his last wish for his son to go away.

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Thoughts and Feelings

I liked the story because it shows how sometimes people can be ambitious and go in dangerous paths in order to fulfill their desires. They knew that the monkey's paw was something dangerous and risky to use, yet, they decided to keep it and not burning it. At the end they get their wishes, but at a very high price.
I think there is nothing like having peace of mind, and after the Whites committed this mistake, I imagine they must have felt guilty of not burning the Monkey's paw as they were told to.  It ended up in tragedy for the family.

Thank You M’am by Langston Hughes

-Characters

Rogers: He is a poor boy who tries to rob Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones in order to buy himself his dream shoes.

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones: She is a tall generous woman who helped Roger even though he tried to rob her.
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Plot Elements:
Exposition: Mrs. Luella is walking through the streets and out of nowhere a boy attempts to rob her purse. 

Rising Action: She held the boy, but later forgives him and takes him to her house to clean him up, since he was a street boy. 

Climax: The boy, Rogers confesses that he tried to rob Mrs. Luella in order to buy a pair of shoes that he dreams of having.

Resolution :Mrs. Luella gave Rogers $10 bucks so that he could buy the blue suede shoes he has always wanted. 

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Summary

A tall woman is walking down the streets when suddenly an impoverish boy spots her and attempts to rob her. When the boy tries to pull out the woman`s purse, he tumbles and the woman manages to tug him in. The young poor boy known as Rogers wants to escape, so that he doesn’t get caught, however the woman Mrs. Jones insists on taking him to her home to wash off his dirtiness. Rogers exclaims that the reason he tried to steal her purse was because a pair of blue suede shoes he had always wanted. Mrs. Jones grants his wish by giving Rogers enough money to afford them..
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Thoughts and Feelings
I liked the story because it takes an unexpected turn. One would expect the lady to call the police or accuse the kid who tried to steal from her, but she is merciful and not only takes him to her house, but she gave him the money to buy a new pair of shoes. I liked it because the story shows that there are good people in the world. And perhaps, this little boy changed when he received this merciful act. I think the world needs more people like that lady. Sometimes people need punishment to correct their acts, but other times, when people who make bad things are confronted with a good action, they change in a positive way.