Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his short story "Young Goodman Brown", details the fragility of human morality when he takes the story's protagonist (Goodman Brown) on a journey through the forest on All Hollows. Eve to attend/participate in a witches' sabbath just to see what evil/sin is. During young Goodman Brown's journey, his faith is shaken when he sees those he respects most also going to and participating in the Witch's Sabbath. In “Young Goodman Brown,” Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates that an idealistic faith in the justice of our fellow human beings could lead to disappointment, distrust, and fear. Nathaniel Hawthorne, like many writers, uses his stories to illustrate or criticize moral principles, and while it would be nice if they could just state the principle, it seems that using a story to illustrate the principle helps the reader to understand better. According to Rena Korb, "'Young Goodman Brown' takes the form of an allegory, which uses certain elements of a story (characters, plot, etc.), or the story itself to symbolize something else" (2) . Nathaniel Hawthorne makes liberal use of allegory and symbolism, with every person and almost every object used allegorically or symbolically to represent both good and evil. But the heart of this story centers on the theme of initiation, an initiation that results in the disappearance of Goodman Brown's happiness. To understand why Goodman Brown became “a stern, sad, gloomy and meditative man, suspicious, even desperate…” (482), the reader must understand Goodman Brown's childhood. grew up in the late 1600s, in Salem Village, Massachusetts, a village settled by the Puritans. The Puritans are a people known for their strict morals... middle of paper ... his trip that night caused. In this case, Nathaniel Hawthorne might have had bright and joyous stories to write about the Puritan society of his ancestors. But that's another story. Works Cited Bouchelle, Dan. “Who is welcome at this table?” » Senior Minister, Central Church of Christ. April 19, 2009. Easterley, Joan Elizabeth. “Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown.” » Short fiction studies28.3. (Summer 1991): 339. Student Resource Center. Lynn Lib, Amarillo Coll. November 27, 2009. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Young Goodman Brown.” Reading literature, reacting, writing. » Compact 7th ed. Kirszner and Mandell. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. 474-483. King James Bible, Rom. 3.23Korb, Rena. “Glimpse of Young Goodman Brown.” Explore short stories. (2003) Student Resource Center - Or. Amarillo Coll. November 27. 2009 .