Thesis and Outline due in a week

Shelia Davis

Prof. Cobbs

English 202-975

October 9, 2020

Outline

In the short stories "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "Young Goodman Brown," the authors argue that

human beings have an evil side, choose to do bad things, and eventually feel guilty about their

actions.

I. In "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "Young Goodman Brown," the authors explain that all

humans have an evil side.

A. In "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator explains that the old man had an 'evil eye.'

B. He plots to murder the old man because he's "vulture-like" eye distresses him.

C. In the short story "Young Goodman Brown," Goodman Brown meets a woman who

had taught him catechism in the forests. The forest symbolizes the evil side of the

woman even though she was a religious teacher.

II. The characters in both “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “Young Goodman Brown” choose to

do bad things instead of choosing the right ones.

A. The narrator in “The Tell-Tale Heart” chooses to kill the old man

B. Even though Goodman Brown is shown the right path, he decides to follow the evil

path. Religion is taught extensively in the community as people attend summons, but

they have not abandoned their evil ways.

III. All characters feel guilty after choosing to do evil things.

A. In “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the narrator hides the body of the old man from the policemen.

B. His guilt makes him confess to the policemen that he killed the old man.

C. In “Young Goodman Brown,” Brown loses faith and confidence after the experience in the

forest.