Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story about the revelation of true evil and one man's loss of faith. Nathaniel Hawthorne left "Young Goodman Brown" for many interpretations. After reading the story several times, one thing became clear to me. What I took away from this story is that evil exists in everyone, no matter how much we think we are good. Things are not always what they seem. I say this because the people who attended the devil's meetings were the ones who went to church with him. and Christians These people were not holy at all They worshiped, prayed and obeyed the devil As Goodman Brown began his journey into the forest, he encountered an older man, "about fifty years old, apparently in the same age. rank as Goodman Brown, and looked a lot like him, although perhaps more so. expression than features” (DiYanni, 273). In Brown's ignorance, he does not realize that the one he is with is actually the devil. This is seen when Brown fearfully asks a question before meeting the old man: "There may be an evil Indian behind every tree," Goodman Brown thinks; » And he cast a fearful glance behind him, while adding: “And if the devil himself were at my side! (DiYanni, 273). This seems ironic to me, because then, "with his head turned back, he passed a bend in the road and, looking again in front of him, he saw the silhouette of a man, in serious and decent attire, sitting at the foot of 'an old tree. He stood up as Goodman Brown approached and walked side by side with him" (DiYassi, 273). Here, Goodman Brown does not realize that the devil is actually walking "by his side" (DiYassi, 273). “Goodman Brown recognized a very pious and exemplary lady, who had taught him his catechism in his youth and who was always his moral and spiritual advisor” (DiYassi, 275). Cloyse recognizes the old man and cries “to hell with it” (DiYassi, 275), he cannot believe it. He now sees her as a “miserable old woman” (DiYassi, 276). try to overcome this by saying: “What if a miserable old woman chose to go to the devil, when I thought she would go to heaven! Is that any reason to leave my dear Faith behind and go after her??