Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts. In addition, his great-great-grandfather was a judge in charge over the infamous Salem witch trials. As a result, Hawthorne built bitterness toward "Puritan pride." So he wrote an allegory about his feelings in 1835. In "Young Goodman Brown," Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the story. There are significant symbols in the story all of which will be looked at in detail.
             His wife's name is a symbol. At the beginning of the story, Goodman Brown leaves on a journey without Faith. In the same way, that puritans back then would leave their house without faith (religiously speaking). Finally, Goodman Brown's desire to journey without Faith leads to her sacrifice. For example, Goodman complains to the devil saying, "Faith kept me back awhile." In addition, Hawthorne incorporates "pink" as a symbol in the story. Hawthorne uses pink as a symbol four times in the story. In the Bible scarlet represents sin while white represents purity. Thus, this symbol represents the blend of purity and sin. In addition, Hawthorne mentions "Faith, with pink ribbons"
             referring to his faith, that it takes on this blend of purity and sin. The snake's staff held by the devil represents the first form the devil himself took. In addition to the meaning that snakes are lurky, slithery, and evil. The snake goes back to the Bible in the first chapters of human creation when Adam and Eve were created. The story tells of a snake that lured both Adam and Eve into transgression, against there faith. The setting of the story takes place in Salem, the same place in which the witch trials took place, hinting that Salem itself symbolizes evil in all forms. The reference of the threshold in the story is another metaphorical explanation of the journey from good to bad, as he crosses over it. Lastly the name "Young Goodman Brown" alone is a symbol in the stor
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