Nathanial Hawthorne's story "Young Goodman Brown" portrays the growth of Young Goodman Brown through vivid symbolic setting. "Young Goodman Brown" is an allegory in which the setting is very important to the theme of the story. Throughout the narration, detailed setting and emblematic characters surround Goodman Brown. Goodman Brown is an Everyman character, which could be any one of us, struggling with his Puritan heritage, more specifically his spiritual faith.

The setting is first introduced during a conversation between Goodman and his wife "Faith" which is symbolic of his struggle with his spiritual faith throughout the story. Standing in the doorway of his own home he turns to confront his wife, who encourages him to stay at home with her, the first expression in the story of his internal conflict with his "faith." Walking away from his wife, he begins to question himself in several ways. Why is...