Goodman Brown in the short story "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne goes on a journey into the woods to meet a stranger who ultimately changes his life. His blind faith in his religion makes him believe that everyone is good. Goodman Brown is a naive and trusting man at the beginning of the story, but he witnesses a witch's ceremony that drastically changes his personality. Seeing his family and neighbors participate in this sinful act changes his outlook on life as well as his view of their character. Brown's blind faith in people and his naivety cause the shock of what he sees in the woods to transform him into a paranoid and suspicious man. Young Goodman Brown goes from overconfident to a paranoid and suspicious man. Once Goodman Brown arrives at his destination and walks with the stranger, they begin talking about Goodman Brown's family and how they traveled the same path he is on now. However, Goodman Brown refuses to believe the traveler: "I'm surprised they never spoke." of these questions. Or, in truth, I am not surprised, […] We are people of prayer” (621). Goodman Brown said he was “amazed” by what the stranger said and insisted his family is a family of prayer and holiness. He later said that he was "surprised that I did not express disbelief at the stranger's statement." Young Goodman Brown's faith in his religion and the fact that his family is faithful to their religion leads Goodman Brown to believe that they can do nothing wrong. He has this same reaction when he sees the minister and deacon of his village in the woods, discussing the meeting they are going to: "'besides several Indian powows, who, in their own way, know almost as many devilish things as the best of us. ' […] Young Goodman Brown grabbing a tree for support...... middle of paper ... in the woods, transforms him from an overconfident and naive man into a cynical and corrupt man. Before his life-changing journey, the good man Brown ignores all the sins that surround him. He believes that everyone he knows is perfect and sinless. This changes when he takes a trip through the forest. His eyes are sort of open, but maybe too big. Goodman Brown becomes paranoid about everyone in the village, including his wife, Faith. He also becomes corrupt and unable to focus on his religious activities as he always did before. Basically, faith is something that Brown freely gave to anyone, but should instead be given in moderation. Works Cited Hawthorn, Nathaniel. “Young Goodman Brown” The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Flight. I. Seventh shorter edition. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: WW Norton and Co., 2008. 620-629. Print.