"In Adam's fall, we sinned all."
             This idea is the root by which all children of Puritan faith learned where they stood in the eyes of their God. They discovered very young that they were unworthy of the Grace of God. If they were to be saved it would only be if God predetermined their fate. This led them to the belief that they must resist sin and temptation in their everyday lives to have any chance at keeping in the Grace of God, should they be chosen for redemption of their original sin.
             Nathaniel Hawthorne's allegorical tale, "Young Goodman Brown" served as a stark criticism of his ancestor's beliefs and the doctrines of Puritanism. He reveals, through Brown's journey, how this dark view of life could lead to mistrust of oneself, and of those around one.
             The "good man's" expedition begins with him departing as the sun sets, "crossing the threshold"(1236) leaving his wife, Faith. Her name is obvious symbolism that Hawthorne wanted all readers to immediately notice. Against her wishes and pleas, Brown ignores Faith and continues onto his journey without a second thought.
             The journey Brown departs for somewhat parallels the journey that every Puritan
             must take towards righteousness. Known historically as the Journey towards Justification,
             it is this same journey that leads puritan people into evil and sin.
             This can be seen in the actions Brown's family before him.
             They committed violent acts in the name of God, believing that they were doing His
             work. It was the obsession with being pure that required constant self-examination.
             Puritanism required their followers to doubt themselves so much that, according to
             Hawthorne, a reality in which one could achieve Grace did not exist. Brown will discover
             this fact as he traverses into the forest.
             Brown ventures into the wilderness, an evil place, confront and resist temptation. It co...