young goodman brown questions

Please answer the following questions in a post on your blog entitled,
YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN: Q & A

(questions after the jump)

1. What do you think Hawthorne's purpose was for writing this story?
2. Hawthorne states that Brown's wife is "aptly named" Faith.  After reading the story, do you agree?  Does Faith's name fit her personality?  Does Brown have true faith in her?
3. What do you think the pink ribbons signify?
4. Was everything Brown witnessed real, a figment of his imagination, something conjured by evil, or a dream?  Support your answer with passages from the text.
5. Who do you think the old man really is?  What textual clues tell you this?
6. What does the staff represent?  Do you think the staff leads Brown onward or is the primary motivator Brown's own conscience/mind?
7. If Brown had not ventured into the forest, how would his life be different?  If he'd stayed home, would Brown still have Faith?  Would he still trust his wife and his fellow townspeople