The Woods is Our Hell

The decision to enter hell was that made by Goodman Brown. His inability to leave the woods when he pleases is the consequence of making a wrong decision. Just as the punishment for sinning is imprisonment in a land of the eternally damned. Goodman Brown did not seem to be trapped in the woods physically, but mentally. His acquaintance in the woods continuously persists that Goodman Brown continue the journey. The acquaintance also seemed rather pushy when it came to Goodman Brown's walking pace, offering his walking stick to increase that rate in which they were walking(333).
This acquaintance Goodman Brown met in the woods seems to have a complete grasp on Goodman Brown's situation. He seems to have a convincing way about him. This man was older and carried a walking stick that resembled the configurations of a snake, or a serpent. This man had a sense for the forest and seemed almost to be at home.…