Week 12: I am an English Teacher. All English Teachers like, but I'm telling you the truth.

It's the usual sort of day in my morning English class: The student collective is sluggish, hunched over their books or nursing half warm cups of coffee in an attempt to maintain a state of wakefulness. In contrast our proff is her usual self, bright eyed and energetic, she's trying to get us to engage in a conversation. Usually we're pretty reluctant, or just not awake enough, to really be up to the task but today we're on the subject of Young Goodman Brown; a story that seems to have energised our usually dreary minds. The question that has been posed is thus: What do you think happened in the woods? Is it real or imagined? The conversation moves about the room and is actually starting to pick up as more of my classmates warm to the subjects: Good vs Evil, Reality vs Perception. Was it a dream? Some of them think so, others don't. I have something of a different opinion which I eagerly voice as I'm called on. "Well..I really don't see how it matters if it was real or a dream." there's a moment of silence and I feel the sudden surprising weight of eyes on me as I take a quick glance about the room. I thought it somewhat obvious...in a philosophical sort of way at least. If what Goodman Brown had seen, real or imagined had impacted his life in such an extreme way it matters very little of the demonic visions he saw in the woods were imaginary; they were real to him. The Prof seems almost to be in shock, but finds her voice. "Of course it matters! If it wasn't real then why did he distance himself from his wife and the members of his community?" I'm not sure if she's upset over my opinion or not so I simply smile and nod. I thought it was a pretty keen observation anyways.