What is the story of Young Goodman Brown?

This story of young
Goodman Brown is actually anabout an "Everyman" character who believes that he can put
down and pick up his faith whenever it suits him; in the end, he does not learn from his
mistake, but we have the opportunity to benefit from realizing what he does not: that faith
requires real devotion, and it isn't something that we put on and take off like
clothing.

When Goodman Brown walks away from his wife, Faith, he also walks
away from his Christian faith, which she represents.  He even says that "'after this one
night, [he'll] cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven.'"  He has put down his faith
because he wants to have one more night of sinfulness, but this is not how faith works; he is
taking it for granted, abusing it even.  He meets up with the devil, who looks very much like
his father, and he walks with him through the forest.  The devil explains that he knew Goodman
Brown's father and grandfather well, and he meets up with various others in the forest as they
walk.  In terms of the allegory, then, Brown realizes that everyone knows the devil on some
level; everyone is sinful.

The devil leads Brown to a witches' Sabbath, and
Brown hears his wife's voice and sees her pink ribbon drop from the sky.  He chose to leave his
Faith/faith behind, and now she/it is in danger, made vulnerable to the devil, to temptation. 
Brown and Faith are led before the unholy congregation, full of all the people they know from
the village -- good and bad alike.  The devil preaches, and Brown implores Faith to look to
heaven and resist the devil, and he never knows if she does.  He suddenly finds himself alone in
the forest, and he makes his way back to town.  He finds Faith at home, but he no longer takes
comfort in her.  He shrinks from her and becomes a miserable man, suspicious of everyone around
him.  In thinking that he could put his faith down to give himself a break from righteous
behavior, then resume faith when it suited him, Goodman Brown reveals himself as a Christian not
truly devoted to maintaining his relationship with God and, consequently, he lost it, along with
happiness and hope.