What does the encounter with the strange man in the woods tell about the character of Young Goodman Brown? this is from a story by Hawthorne titled,...

The presence of
the stranger in "" serves as a catalyst for Brown's initiation into adulthood.  When
Brown first meets the stranger, there is a sense of familiarity between them.  This is evident
when the stranger says, "You are late, Goodman Brown."  Although Brown is frightened
by the stranger's appearance, the narrator tells us that the stranger was "not wholly
unexpected."  To further indicate that the stranger's purpose is to entice Brown into the
evils of adulthood, Hawthorne describes the stranger's staff as having "...the likeness of
a great black snake...that...might almost be seen to twist and wriggle...like a living
serpent."  This is anto The Garden of...