"Young Goodman Brown"

Nathaniel Hawthorne uses a lot of symbolism throughout this short story. Goodman Brown is leaving his new wife, Faith, to run an errand at night time. He is met by another man, who accompanies him in his journey. It seems that he is a Christian, specifically a purtian. Goodman Brown is crushed because his thoughts on his fellow Christians (religious leaders and townsmen) are compromised; they are attending a Black Mass.
The location, time period, and people involved kind of remind me of the Salem Witch Trials. This black mass may represent the black magic that witches were supposed to have. The event also takes place in Salem, involving the puritans. Faith, Goodman's wife, seems to represent the very definition of her name. He leaves his "faith" behind, while travelling. At the end, it seems like the whole thing was just a dream.
At first, I thought this was going to be some sort of sweet, love story. He is sad to leave his wife to run an errand. The people and other things he encounters in the woods convey a different message.