“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an excellent example of the use of allegory and symbolism as a form of satire on the Puritan faith. According to Frank Preston Stearns, author of The Life and Genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Hawthorne may have intended this story as a denunciation of the inconsistency and resulting hypocrisy of Puritanism” (Stearns 181). Throughout the story of “Young Goodman Brown,” Hawthorne tries to infuse as many symbols and allegories as possible to enhance the overall meaning of his story. He uses the village, Goodman Brown, Faith, the man in the forest, and his time in the forest as a symbol or allegory to convey that Puritans are not always what they appear to be. One of the first symbols that Hawthorne uses in “Young Goodman Brown” is the village where the story takes place, the village of Salem in Massachusetts. The reason the village is symbolic to the story is because of what happened in Salem's story. According to Susan Balee, a writer for The Hudson Review, “the witchcraft crisis engulfed Salem in 1692” (Balee 377). During this time the devil was thought to live in the forests of Salem. The Puritans accused each other of being witches and this led to the deaths of many men and women. If a person were accused of being a witch they would be considered a follower of the devil. The first hypothesis that can be made with this cultural symbol is the prediction that “Young Goodman Brown” will be about Puritans and witches. While the story isn't necessarily about witches, it has something to do with the fact that Puritans thought the devil lived in Salem Forest during the trials. Also, another reason Hawthorne probably used… half the paper… and, Susan. “Prisoners of Their Imaginations: Salem in 1692.” The Hudson Review 56.2 (2003): 377. Questiona. Network. November 27, 2013.Ferber, Michael. A dictionary of literary symbols. Cambridge, England: Cambridge UP, 1999. Questiona. Network. 28 November 2013.Harper, Preston. “Puritan works toward salvation and the pursuit of community in “THE SCARLET LETTER.”” Theology today. April 2000: 51-65. LORDS Renaissance. Network. November 29, 2013.Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." Literature: An introduction to reading and writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig. Compact 5th edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2012. 329-37. Print.Stearns, Frank Preston. The life and genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1906. Questoa. Network. November 28, 2013.Tharpe, Jac. Nathaniel Hawthorne: Identity and knowledge. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois UP, 1967. Questiona. Network. November 29. 2013.