The Dual Nature of Man in “Young Goodman Brown” In “Young Goodman Brown,” Hawthorne tells the story of the loss of faith of a man in the human race. As Goodman Brown travels through the woods one night, he discovers the innermost secrets and desires of the people he once placed on pedestals. He sees that humans are evil by nature, which makes him lose faith in his fellow humans. Viewing the story as an allegory, the journey into the woods is associated with the Puritan concept of justification. The Puritans viewed justification, or the means by which one receives salvation from Christ, as a psychological journey into "the hell (or evil) of the self" (Soler). Goodman Brown fails to complete his individuation process because he fails to accept the dual Apollonian and Dionysian nature of his being. The Puritans believed that to be justified, one must abandon one's dependence on the world and strive to live a life free from dependence. sin (Soler), making the story an allegory “in its treatment of the nature and consequences of the Puritan belief in the total depravity of man” (Wagoner 250). This would have impacted the development of the psyche, as the ego struggled to repress certain instincts that the superego considered sinful based on puritanical beliefs. To understand the effects of Puritanism on the psyche, one must also realize that Puritanism depraved the human mind of both Dionysian and Apollonian instincts. Even if it favors the Apollonian in the sense that it promotes distancing from the world, it does not favor the development of the individual, associated with Apollo. Puritan society frowned upon the expression of individuality (which is why, aside from the obvious dishonor, we...... middle of paper ...... The Continuum Publishing Company, New York, 1995. Soler, Angie . "The Journey Into the Puritan Heart: Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'Young Goodman Brown'" Dr. Jim Wohlpart. American Literature and Analysis Website. Florida Gulf Coast University. 1998. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories. Appelbaum, Stanley, ed. Dover Thrift Edition, Canada 1992. Martin, Terence Hawthorne. Twayne's American Author Series. Princeton University Press, New Jersey 1981. Male, Tragic Vision of Roy R. Hawthorne. , Austin 1957. Wagoner, Hyatt H. Hawthorne: A Critical Study.. 1955.