Firstly, Hawthorn sets up the time period as the historically significant Salem Massachusetts of the 1690’s. “And it was I that brought your father a pitch-pine knot… in King Philip’s War.” If Goodman Brown’s father fought in this war in 1675 his son would be of marrying age around 1690. This time and place was ripe with religious persecution and strict moral codes. With such ethical and spiritual ----- now hanging in the air, the reader can sense the message of morality, right vs. wrong, good vs. evil.

The village of Salem itself represents the goodness in Mr. Brown’s life. With its straight and open streets, and

The forest then represents the evil, so nearby his whole life, but that he never before dared to explore. “He had taken a dreary road, darkened by all the gloomiest trees of the forest, which barely stood aside to let the narrow path creep through and closed immediately behind” Symbolically, Mr. Brown is stepping directly into evil surrounded by the darkest and gloomiest of spirits; so much so that they are crowding him on this path. The idea that he will never be able to simply return to the life of innocence from which he came can be seen in the image of the forest closing behind and cutting off the path back.

We should also look at the symbolic use of forest imagery outside of this work to help us understand an even larger theme. Forests have a great history and tradition in literature. Experiences of this nature commonly occur in dense, dark forests. Hansel and Gretel meet the witch in their attempt to find their way out. Goldilocks encounters the three bears and Little Red Riding Hood fends off the wolf. In many cases,

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