How was Nathaniel Hawthorne affected by Puritanism, and how did Puritanism influence his short story "Young Goodman Brown"?

Hawthorne was very
interested in guilt and sin, in part because of his great-great-grandfather's participation in
the Salem Witch Trials.  In fact, he was so embarrassed by his ancestor's guilt that he actually
added the "w" to his last name in order to separate himself more fully from Judge
Hathorne.  Much of Hawthorne's work focuses on the effects of guilt and sin on individuals,
especially when they remain secretthink of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale of
or Father Hooper of "." Like those characters,would likely be much better off if he
were simply honest about his sinfulness.  He tries to hide it from his wife, Faith, and if he
had simply told her where he was going, then perhaps things would not have gone so terribly
awry. Likely, they would have gained a better understanding of one another, bringing them closer
together in their relationship.  Many people, perhaps beginning in America with the Puritans,
seemed to try...