Freewrite # 2 Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown resembles many of his other stories consisting of a corrupt puritan lifestyle. the primary character usually must overcome societal changes, much like Hawthorne himself. This coming theme includes historical evidence of the past puritan society and Hawthorne’s personal belief. In his story, Nathaniel hawthorne's argument can be best explained in two specific messages: the illusion of evil and the awareness of oneself. Young Goodman bRown resembles Hawthorne himself in the story. After parting with his wife, ironically names Fatith, Goodman brown begins his “journey” into the “lonely” woods. Immediately he runs into a suspicious man who attempts to persuade Brown by claiming “...I have been well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the puritans [...] i helped your grandfather…” (Hawthorne 2). The tone of darkness and hesitation resembles the “mistrust” among the Puritan society. Angie Soler explains further the meaning of the mysterious man, and dark forest as she writes “The forest [...] represented the deceit and darkness of a mans heart [....] the shadows and figures he saw hidden in the forest, he could not trust his own desires” (Soler 1). The illusion of evil among the forest and of the puritan life mask the ability for man to recognize his own sin. Among the puritan life, “depravity” of self awareness toward sin was a destructive trait. Soler continues this explanation claiming “... Brown found the awareness of his depravity [...] he was blinded by the reality of sin and sentenced himself to a