Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Nathaniel Hawthorne has flourished into a true American writer. Whether it be a novel or a short story, Hawthorne writes about individuals who suffer from inner conflicts caused by sin, pride, untested innocence and hidden guilt. Readers get the chance to look inside of his characters, at their hearts, souls, and minds; which under normal circumstances would be kept secret and hidden. It is with this type of writing that the reader is given the opportunity to look at and interpret the author's views on various subjects. Although feminism may not be Nathaniel Hawthorne's goal when writing, he has a distinct way in which he depicts his female characters. Growing up in Puritan times it was believed that women were to be seen and not heard. Society brainwashed its people into thinking that it was "God's" wish to have women act as if they were robots; they were to cook, clean, bare children, listen to their husband's demands, and all the while keeping silent and smiling. Nathaniel Hawthorne recognizes this and instills in his female characters a "happy homemaker" front on the outside, while on the inside they embody sinful feelings of adultery, pride, guilt, ect. This point becomes apparent in several of his literary works. The short story "Young Goodman Brown" was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1835. This work demonstrates how the female character was portrayed in a male dominant society, the limitations and restrictions that they were faced with, and what happened to them if their feelings and emotions that they were forced to hide deep inside were released.
In the past, there was this preconceived notion that women were pure and delicate creatures. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses this stereotype when naming the main female character in this story "Faith." This word can incorporate several meanings. For instance, it could be describing this characters faithfulness to her husband.
