Once you take a walk in the woods, you might never see your neighbors the same way again. This two-page activity leads students into Nathaniel Hawthorne’s shadowy tale of temptation, disillusionment, and the fragile line between faith and hypocrisy. With guided analysis and text led questions, students will explore how symbolism, ambiguity, and allegory turn a nighttime journey into a lifelong crisis of belief. Perfect for American Lit units, Gothic explorations, or “Let’s talk about trust and t