"Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Nathaniel Hawthorne does a great job of giving his readers an understanding of the Puritans and Original Sin, in his short story Young Goodman Brown. The story takes place in a Massachusetts town called Salem Village. The main character and protagonist is a man called Goodman Brown. He is changed in the story by the people of Salem. He is happily married to a young woman named Faith. Goodman Brown is about to take a journey through the woods with a mysterious elder man. Before leaving, Faith begs him to stay because she has bad feelings about his trip. He refuses and continues on to his journey. The man he walks with carries a black staff that looks like a serpent. Goodman tells the man that he also has a bad feeling about this trip and the man tells him he had explored this road many times with his father and grandfather.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

English: Title page for Mosses from an Old Manse b...

Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1841, a "prudent and effici...

The elder man also tells Goodman shocking stories about them that he had never heard. On their way they met up with a woman who Goodman claimed was his catechism teacher. The elder man gave the woman his staff and she seemed to disappear. Shortly after that, the minister and deacon passed by the walkers on horseback. Goodman couldn't take this anymore. He was almost ready to turn back when he heard a tune not far ahead. It was the same tune played by the choir at the meeting house. He decided to proceed closer when he saw a bright red light on a rock. It almost looked as if the rock was on fire. By now he was there and so was everyone else. He recognized every face he saw and he could not believe it. There was dark figure preaching to the crowd. He...