The protagonist of the story is of course Goodman Brown, who at the beginning of the story is a typical Puritan citizen you would expect to read about in colonial America. He lives a good and clean life, fears God and upholds church values. Faith, Goodman's new wife, although a less present character in the story, is also represented in the same way. Faith, unlike Goodman, appears somewhat childlike, which for that period of American history seems like an accurate view of women, as seen by a man. The Old Man in the Woods appears not only to be the antagonist of the story but perhaps also the devil himself, as he tempts Goodman on the way to a meeting of witches; the final destination of his journey through the woods. Goody Cloyse, the minister, and Deacon Gookin all represent, in their real presence, the good people of Salem and the church. In a more symbolic sense they represent the whole idea of ​​religion, divinity and goodness. All these characters converge to realize the entire meaning of the story, which this reader believes is a condemnation of the hypocrisy of organized organizations.