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It takes place in Salem, New England during the Puritanical witch paranoia of the 1700s. The main character, Goodman Brown. departs from home and his wife, Faith, late in the evening to meet with a grim figure deep in the woods. Upon meeting it is made clear that the grim figure is in fact the devil, who proceeds to goad Goodman Brown farther into the woods to witness a demonic ritual attended by Salem's supposed Christian townsfolk. It is later implied that the entire experience was only a dream, though Goodman Brown seems to endure a psychological scar consistent with the story's theme of retribution for any contact with the devil or his works.