Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown” is an allegory set in New England during the puritan age. The theme of the story is the evil nature of mankind, the inner struggle of good and evil, and the deceptiveness of appearances. Many questions go unanswered throughout the story. Why did Goodman Brown enter the forest? Is his trip into the forest reality or an illusion? Perhaps the author intended for the readers to come up with their own conclusions.
The story begins with Goodman Brown going to the forest on an errand, while leaving his wife, Faith, behind. Apparently, he feels guilty to leave his wife behind, becaus