"Young Goodman Brown" written by Hawthorne is a symbolic story about a devoted puritan man who's life was turned around after a dream or vision involved with the devil.
Goodman Brown is a devoted church attendee that is active and well liked in the local community. He seemingly is living a happy life. .
He begins the story by leaving his loving life for some mysterious task that will take him over night. He meets a figure in the forest that has a considerable resemblance to him self. The man holds a crooked staff and is symbolic of the devil. .
Goodman Brown walks with him for a while then decides he has gone to far. The man says that he was well aquatinted with browns family, his farther, and grand farther. Brown disbelieves the mans descriptions of wrongdoings that his family did in the past.
Goodman Brown continues into a clearing to find rock in the shape of a pulpit surrounded by blazing fires. He recognizes many of the people found in his town. "A grave and dark-clad company!" said brown. He realizes every one around him has been corrupted to the devil. His Minister, church members, and even wife was there. Suddenly he found himself alone again. No people, no pulpit, and no fire were to be seen. He felt the surrounding area for heat to see if it was real. All was cold.
The next morning Goodman Brown slowly walks into the village. He viewed all the people from the night before, now seeing them in a different light. His wife run out to meet him and he looked sternly and sadly at her face and continues to walk on with out greeting her. In church he could not listen to the congregation sing their holy psalm. The only thing he could hear was the "anthem of sin" which drowned out all the "blessed strain". He could not tolerate the ministers words for he knew he was a sinner. He was further agitated when his family would pray, scowling and muttering to himself. He knew they were gone and they would not take him with them.