"The Scarlet Letter", by Hawthorne and how it relates to the quote from Young Goodman Brown "Evil is the nature of Mankind

Evil in the Heart of Man         "Evil is the nature of mankind," says the devil in the supernatural tale of 'Young Goodman Brown,' which is written by one of the first men to publish a book based on symbolism. This man is named Nathaniel Hawthorne, whom is most famous for writing the masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter. This quote that Hawthorne has put into "Young Goodman Brown," reflects his deeper meaning and the whole plot …

…together is one where Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale are in the woods and they are discussing the magnitude of their sin. Dimmesdale comments to Hester "We are not, Hester, the worst sinners in the world. There is one worse than even the polluted priest! That old man's revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so."(Ch.17 p.170)