When a child is born, his family is there to welcome him into the world. Whether he knows it or not, this family will ultimately shape his character, his views, and his faith. Although all parents do their best to raise their children successfully, even the most perfect families cannot hide their deep, dark secrets forever. Raised as a Puritan, Nathaniel Hawthorne grew up in a pious family, intensely immersed in religion. As he grew up, Hawthorne discovered that his seemingly pious family had disturbing flaws, a discovery that would radically change his life. In his short story "Young Goodman Brown," Nathaniel Hawthorne's Puritan family secrets help form symbols of faith and evil and develop the inner complexities of his characters. Hawthorne, the sixth generation of a family of American Puritans, was raised to strictly follow his religion. Born on July 4, 1804, Hawthorne spent most of his childhood in Salem, Massachusetts, the epicenter of Puritanism (Bio.com 1). On the surface, his family, the Hathornes, seemed kind and tolerant. However, Nathaniel dug deeper and learned that his family's ties to Puritanism were stronger than he could have imagined. William Hathorne, the family's first American ancestor, and John Hathorne, Nathaniel's great-great-grandfather, were involved in religious persecution. In fact, John Hathorne was one of three judges in the corrupt and biased Salem Witch Trials (European Graduate School 1). During these trials, several innocent people suspected of witchcraft were sentenced to death by an unethical justice system. While the other judges eventually apologized for their unjust actions, Hathorne refused to do so because, in his view, God's will controlled the court's decision...... middle of paper ...... uh. Hawthorne's family ancestry disturbed him and made him an antisocial pessimist, but it also inspired one of his greatest works. By projecting his Puritan history and personal ideas into his stories, Nathaniel Hawthorne established himself as a legendary and inspiring American writer. Works Cited Allen, Janet, eds. “Nathaniel Hawthorne v. 1804-1864”. American literature. Orlando: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2012. 468-69. Print. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Young Goodman Brown.” Short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Np, and Web. March 4, 2014. “Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography.” » Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, and Web. March 2, 2014. “Nathaniel Hawthorne – Biography.” The European Higher School. European Graduate School, nd Web. March 4, 2014. “Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography.” World biography. Advameg Inc, nd Web. March 2. 2014.