Young Goodman Brown is a puritan minister who followed the ways of the Puritan religion. After his encounter with the devil he saw how the world really turned, which serverly destroyed his life. By this Brown went from a state of innocence (not knowing), to a state of experience (Knowing).
             The story begins with Brown leaving on a journey. Faith, Brown's wife begged him not to go on an "errand", Brown says his "his love and my faith" that "this one night I must tarry away from thee." As Stear explains: "When he says, "love" and his "Faith" he is talking to his wife but he is also talking to "faith" in god". When brown went to meet the so-called person in the woods, the traveler asked him why he was late. Brown replied with "faith kept me behind". Stear also explains: "this has a double meaning. Not only his wife named Faith has left him behind, but his faith in god slowed him down also".( )
             As Brown is walking in the woods, the traveler with him, who holds a cane that resembles a great black snake, talked to Brown about his family. The man was trying to convince Brown that everyone is devilish. He does this by telling Brown how his grandfather lashed a Quaker woman, and set fire to and Indian village. Tritt explains here: "the traveler was trying to get Brown join his devilish acts". Brown was very skeptical about him and would not believe what he is saying, but something happened that changed Browns hole view of life.
             As Brown was walking in the woods they came across someone Brown recognized. It was Goody Close, Browns Catechism teacher. But what Brown found shocking was when the man, touched her on the neck with the staff. Goody Cloyse, without no hesitation knew it was the devil.
             To Brown that was so strange, how could someone so into the teaching of the Puritan religion be associated with the devil....