Young Goodman Brown

“Scapegoat”, what a strange term. Two words that have no connection being used in the same word. The word escape, which means to flea from danger, and the word goat, which is a common farm animal. How could these go together? A scapegoat is someone who is blamed for the mistakes or crimes of another. The term scapegoat may have some similarity to the ancient Greek term “tragos ode”, which literally means goat song. This …

…This short story initially deceives, then shocks the reader into the realization of the dynamics of scapegoating. Its value lies in this narrative technique which dramatically engages the reader in the textual process such that the reader participates in the act of scapegoating through identification with the townspeople. At the same time as the reader comes to this realization, they are struck by the perils of too early closure on the interpretation of a narrative.