Nathaniel Hawthorne was an extraordinary writer, who used real life experiences in each of his stories. However, growing up in a Puritan society during a Reformation gave Hawthorne a distorted view of the character of God. Hawthorne was intelligent, but was not at all a sociable person, which paved the way for him to become an author. There were some key points in his life, growing up in a religiously zealous society, that led him to abandon his faith. Hence the tale of "Young Goodman Brown" which represents the fact that humans are cynical and evil and the dangers of losing faith in God. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in the year 1804 in the heart of Salem, Massachusetts, where the the Salem witch trials. were conducted. Hawthorne was born into an unforgiving time, when life revolved around religion and family. Hawthorne's father died of yellow fever in 1808. Nathaniel grew up without a father, which had a lasting effect on who he later became. Education at the time focused on reading and writing, with a strong religious influence. “The education of the next generation was important to further “purify” the church and perfect social life” (Kizer). However, since his father died, there was no other man who could instill Puritan beliefs in young Nathaniel. Hawthorne was later able to see the culture through a different lens than the people around him, which made him slightly against the Puritan lifestyle. He became intellectually rebellious; they didn't think the same way his peers or his family did. There was a catalytic event that occurred between the mid-1700s and early 1800s known as the Second Great Awakening. This event was the slow reform of Puritan doctrine that led to new denominations...... middle of paper ......g Nathaniel asks questions, and was looking in the wrong places to find answers, which led to him losing his his faith. His life experiences and ideas were incorporated into his writings, such as "Young Goodman Brown". His ancestors lead him to believe that even God's people are an evil people at heart. The tale of "Young Goodman Brown" represents the fact that humans are cynical and evil and the event of losing faith in God. If only he had a more open mind to see that people make mistakes and are not perfect, then perhaps he would never lose his faith. Works Cited Kizer, Kay. "Puritans." Www3.nd.edu. University of Norte Dame, n.d. Web. March 30, 2014. "Nathaniel Hawthorne - Biography." Nathaniel Hawthorne. The European Graduate School, nd Web. March 30, 2014. Kennedy, professor. "Wandering mind." Wandering mind RSS. Sakridge, 4 February 2012. Web. 01 April. 2014.