Nathaniel Hawthorne is a man with a long American history. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, to the Hathorne family, which dates back to the original Puritans of America. In fact, Hawthorne added the "W" to his last name to differentiate himself from John Hathorne, a prominent judge in the Salem witch trials. Hawthorne is a well-known American Gothic author of the Romantic period; some of his commonly known works are: "The Scarlet Letter", "The House of the Seven Gables" and "Young Goodman Brown" (Meltzer). The Romantic Period was a time when the general population focused on: the supernatural, a drive for reform, the celebration of life, nature, and the idealization of women (the Romantic Period). Hawthorne's story "Young Goodman Brown" can be classified as a moral allegory, because it is a story that has two levels of meaning: literal and symbolic. The allegorical nature of "Young Goodman Brown" is evident throughout the story due to Hawthorne's use of imagery and symbolism to ridicule the true weakness of American religion. The important symbols of the story are: the different characters themselves, the setting of the story in Salem, and Brown's journey through the forest. The most important use of imagery and symbolism is in how Hawthorne conveys his characters. Hawthorne begins his story with a religious allegory by introducing young Goodman Brown's wife, who was "fittingly named" Faith (Hawthorne 329). Hawthorne vividly describes Faith as having pink ribbons in her hair and as a believer in God, to paint a picture of innocence. In the opening scene of the story, when young Goodman Brown says goodbye to Faith, she parts with the final words of "then God bless you, and may you find it all right, when you are...halfway through the paper." .....If young Goodman Brown had remained true to his religion and to God, as he should have, he would never have found his wife at the devil's communion, and would never have lost his innocence of being a good Puritan.Works CitedHawthorne , Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." Literature: An introduction to reading and writing. By Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig. Boston, Massachusetts: Longman, 2012. 329-37. Print.Meltzer, Milton. Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Biography. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century, 2 007. Print."Puritan Life." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 14 February 2014. "The Romantic Period in American Literature and Art." Education-Portal.com. Np, nd Web. 15 February. 2014. .