Puritanism dominated the history and literature of the 17th century. Nathaniel Hawthorne born in 1804 was an American writer who tried to resolve his conflicts with Puritanism through his writing. Hawthorne wrote several stories showing the world the horrors of the Puritan faith and the isolation of individuals who failed to uphold the faith. For Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown illustrates the difference between Puritan teaching and practice and reflects his own guilt over his ancestors' mistreatment of men. Young Goodman Brown's protagonist struggle with Puritanism is a reflection of Hawthorne's personal conflicts with Puritanism. Hawthorne uses the story of young Goodman Brown to illustrate Puritanism's disconnect between their espoused beliefs and the application of their beliefs in everyday life. Additionally, Hawthorne uses the events of his life in the story to help the reader understand the horrors inflicted on individuals considered sinners by the community. Goodman Brown's father and grandfather mirror the events of Hawthorne's ancestors. Using his personal experiences, Hawthorne allows the reader to glimpse his own guilt and guilt over the actions of his ancestors through Goodman Brown. From the beginning, Hawthorne makes the reader understand the importance of this family connection as he states: "the second traveler was about fifty years of age, apparently in the same class as Goodman Brown, and bore a remarkable resemblance perhaps more in expression than in characteristic, however, they could have been mistaken for father and son” (Hawthorne 387). Ronan compares the "biographical details [in] the narrative about Brown's family indicating that he is a Hawthorne...Hawthorne's great-great-grandfather, Major Will...to the center of the paper...a Brown." The Norton Anthology American Literature 8th ed. vol. B. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc, 2012. 386-395. Print.Jamil, S. Selina. “Carnivalesque Freedom in Young Goodman Brown of Hawthorne.” Explicator 65.3 (2007): 143. Complete MasterFILE. Network. April 21, 2014. Milder, Robert. “Hawthorne and the New England Problem.” American Literary History 21.3 (2009): 464-491. MUSE project. Network. 21 April 2014. Mills, Barriss. "Hawthorne and Puritanism". The New England Quarterly 21.1 (1948): 78-102. Network. April 15, 2014. Neary, John. “Shadows and Illuminations: Spiritual Journeys to the Dark Side in “Young Goodman Brown” and Eyes Wide Shut.” Religion and Art 10.2 (2006): 244-270. Academic research completed. Network. April 21, 2014. Ronan, Giovanni. "Young Goodman Brown" and The Mathers." New England Quarterly 85.2 (2012): 253-280. Academic research completed. Web. April 21. 2014.