在納撒尼爾·霍桑最好的短篇《小伙子布朗》(YoungGoodmanBrown)里，霍桑寫了早年的新英格蘭，故事主人公去出席在半夜舉行的魔鬼聚會，發現在座的不僅有鎮上所有德高望重的人，甚至還有他的妻子費思...
書的主題包括人性的好與壞（似乎每本小說都提到這個）。
正如霍桑的大部分小說一樣，《小伙子布朗》這部小說自始至終充滿了晦暗、神秘的意象。本文對這種神秘、晦暗的意象進行了雙重解讀：一方面,這體現了霍桑深受清教思想和超驗主義哲學影響的矛盾思想；另一方面，這也反映了霍桑的創作傾向與寫作特色。
英文故事簡介：
Thestorybeginslateoneeveningin17thcenturySalem,Massachusetts,withyoungGoodmanBrownleavinghishomeandFaith,hiswifeofthreemonths,tomeetwithamysteriousfiguredeepintheforest.Astheymeetandproceedfurtherintothedarkforest,anditisbroadlyhintedthatGoodmanBrown'stravelingcompanionis,infact,theDevil,andthatthepurposeoftheirjourneyistojoininanunspecifiedbutobviouslyunholyritual.GoodmanBrowniswaveringandexpressesreluctance,yettheycontinueon.AstheyjourneyBrowndiscoversothersalsoproceedingtothemeeting,manyofthemhistownsfolkwhomhehadconsideredgoodChristiansincludinghisministeranddeaconandthewomanwhotaughthimhiscatechism.Heisastonishedanddisheartenedanddetermines,onceagain,toturnback.Butnowhehearshiswife'svoiceandrealizesthatsheisoneofthosetobeinitiatedatthemeeting.RecognizingthathehaslosthisFaith(inbothsenses),henowresolvestocarryouthisoriginalintentionandenthusiasticallyjoinstheprocession.
Attheceremony,carriedoutataflame-lit,cruderockyaltarinaclearingdeepintheforest,thenewconvertsarecalledtocomeforth.HeandFaithapproachthealtarand,astheyareabouttobeanointedinbloodtosealtheiralliancewithwickedness,hecriesouttoFaithtolooktoheavenandresist.Inthenextinstanthefindshimselfstandingaloneintheforest,nexttothecold,wetrock.
Thenarratorsuggeststhattheexperiencemighthavebeenadream,butGoodmanBrownisdeeplyshaken.Helivesouthisdaysanembitteredandsuspiciouscynic,waryofeveryonearoundhim,especiallyhiswifeFaith.Thestoryconcludeswiththisdismalstatement:
"Andwhenhehadlivedlong,andwasbornetohisgrave...theycarvednohopefulverseuponhistombstone,forhisdyinghourwasgloom."
