1. This journey is real:
Young Goodman was a steadfast Christian, however boredom, vice and desire make him walked into the evil forest. He began a journey that challenged his faith of
religion.
Goodman's evil companion showed him a lot of things and let him restart to know these people around him, including his father and grandfather. He thought that his father and grandfather is so pure and sincerely Christian. But, this was not truth. His companion told him that Goodman's father and grandfather ever walked into the forest with him. His companion was evil, but he taught him what is real and identified clearly the truth.
In this journey, he found that many people were very different from what they showed in their village. Minister, deacon Gookin and goody Cloyse who taught Goodman catechism, they were so dissimulation and sham. Goodman found that everyone and everything around him is not real. The man he ever believed, the thing he ever trusted is gone. At this moment, he didn't know what should he trust. His lovely and pour wife- Faith became the only person he can trust, he said: "With Heaven above and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the devil!"
Faith, his wife, became the only power to support him in this world and convince the power of religion. He heard deacon Cookin told minister: "Moreover, there is a goodly young woman to be taken into communion." When he arrived that place of meeting, he found that the goodly young woman is his Faith. From then on, he never trusts anyone anymore. He chose the God, at the same time, which was a lonesome road. He had no friends and was never happy.
The descent of this journey towards the moral man to no longer depended upon material things or people, but his faith solely upon God. Isolation from society and complete rejection of all who had sinned could only lead to a miserable and desperate end.
2. This journey is a dream:
To suppose Goodman's journey was just a dream. Goodman thought that these people were evil and hypocritical. However, minister, deacon Gookin, goody Cloyse and his wife-Faith they love Goodman and were good and kind. They were real steadfast Christians.
The setting of this story is in Salem village in 17th century. In 17th century, Salem village happened a famous event- Salem witchcraft trail. Hawthorne's grandfather was one of three judges in that case. At the same time, he was born in this village.
Hawthorne pointed out some witnesses in this event didn't have real evidence to judge witches. What is true and what is false? Did Goodman cover himself by an unfound dream? Did these villagers in Salem witchcraft trail do the same thing as Goodman?