Question

Read this passage from part 2 of "young goodman brown." he knew the tune; it was a familiar one in the choir of the village meeting-house. the verse died heavily away, and was lengthened by a chorus, not of human voices, but of all the sounds of the benighted wilderness pealing in awful harmony together. what does the author mean by using the oxymoron "awful harmony"?

a. The singing is so beautiful that it is almost painful to hear.
b. Goodman Brown is impressed, or awed, by the skilled singing.
c. The people in the forest are singing very badly.
d. The voices sing together, but the effect on Goodman Brown is frightful.

Answer 1

The author's use of the oxymoron "awful harmony" in the passage from "Young Goodman Brown" suggests: d. The voices sing together, but the effect on Goodman Brown is frightful.

In this context, "awful" is not used to convey a sense of admiration or beauty, but rather to imply something dreadful, terrible, or frightening. The harmony of the sounds in the wilderness creates a chilling and unsettling atmosphere for Goodman Brown, contributing to the ominous tone of the story.

The author's use of the oxymoron "awful harmony" in the passage from "Young Goodman Brown" suggests the voices sing together, but the effect on Goodman Brown is frightful.