Although one might be surprised that Hawthorne could write such a story about what was considered a taboo subject in his day, and even have such blatant evidence of personal interaction with a demonic As an individual, the reader may suggest that the subject of his story is because Hawthorne's grandfather was involved in the Salem witch trials. Hawthorne's grandfather was not the only one involved in his family's witch trials, however, he was also related to 4 of the accused witches. Given Hawthorne's family history, the reader can clearly see where the author's interest was sparked. James Williamson, author of Young Goodman Brown: Hawthorne's 'Devil in Manuscript, has a strong opinion on Hawthorne's motivations behind this story. He states: “…there is a connection between the writer and the devil and the writer/speaker is actually a member of the devil’s party. Brown actually encounters three devils: the old man, Goody Cloyse, and the speaker. The speaker is the devil in the manuscript in that he has the ability to make Brown and the reader perceive the devilish qualities of the other characters (127). While this may go against the author's conventional views, Williamson brings up a good idea and starts a great discussion about the author's mindset, rather than that of Young Goodman.