Young Goodman Brown: Everyone is Capable of Sin "Young Goodman Brown," by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an excellent short story from the 1800's. In this short story Hawthorne's main character, Goodman Brown, goes out into the woods with the devil and is tempted by the devil each step of the way. In “Young Goodman Brown,” Hawthorne uses characters who are leaders of their community and symbolistic settings to show that despite how prominent a person is he or she is capable of evil under the right conditions. Through the use of community leaders, Hawthorne shows that there is evil in everyone. As Goodman Brown heads into the woods wi