By showing the wide circle of friends the stranger has developed, including the most eminent, the most pious, and the most respected by Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne seems to suggest that even these men were dealing with the devil and had not been wholly truthful in their lives.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Young Goodman Brown" deals with the story of Goodman Brown, a seemingly pious Puritan in New England. The story deals with themes of faith, good vs. evil, guilt, good Christian values, etc.
- The stranger, in the story, is supposedly the devil, on the lookout for people who are not godly.
- Likewise, Goodman Brown is also a seemingly pious man but also a hypocrite who wants to be seen as a good and holy man.
- He is similar to his father and grandfather, for they are all hypocrites who did evil deeds but try to appear godly and a good Christian.
- The stranger also revealed that he has had "a very general acquaintance here in New England" which included deacons, "the majority of the Great and General Court", and even including the "governor".
- This revelation shows that even those that Goodman Brown respected were all dealing with the devil.
Through this, Hawthorne is suggesting that men are not as pious as they say or seem to be. We all have our bad sides, and that sin is common in our lives. He seems to suggest the idea of Satan constantly looking for people who will side with him or that we, as humans, are prone to evil.
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