Nathaniel Hawthorne is most known for his short stories with the common theme of sin. Hawthorne used sin as a theme in both of the short stories “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Minsters Black Veil”. In “Young Goodman Brown”, Hawthorne shows sin throughout the whole story. Hawthorne especially illustrated sin by Brown going deeper into the forest. Hawthorne also illustrated sin in “The Ministers Black Veil”; though it is secret sin, the theme is still obvious. It is made obvious with the black veil over Hooper’s face. An analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing reveals he has a strong understanding of secret sin.
First, in most of Hawthorne’s literary works he illustrates sin. There is many ways sin is shown in “Young Goodman Brown”. The members …show more content…
It is shown by the way the main character, Mr. Hooper’s, sin is compared is to dust. There is a struggle with fidelity, or the faithfulness of a person, to hold up the nature of Mr. Hooper (Emmett 4). He is said to be “a false and sin-stained creature of dust” (Emmett 4). In the story it is stated that the townspeople express “more wonder than if some strange minister were coming to dust the cushions of Mr. Hooper’s pulpit” (Meyer390). This conveys they feel as if the man in the pulpit isn’t even their reverend. It is put forward he wears the veil in order to hide his sin. It is obvious in the story he wants to suppress his sin, because he goes as far as to hide his face to try and cover his sin. He is hiding his face from the shine of the earth but the veil only draws the people of the towns’ attention to secret sin (Emmett6). Hooper’s veil brings his engagement with Elizabeth to a closing; the veil is the obstacle separating him from the other people in the town (Emmett 7). His wife says to him “Lift the veil but once, and look me in the face” he replies with “Never! It cannot be!” Her reply is “Then, farewell!” (Meyer395). The reason he doesn’t remove the veil is to provide a moralistic lesson (Isolation 9). Hooper sees a figurative veil on everyone, this is proved when he states “I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!”(Meyer 397). These are the examples in “The Ministers Black Veil” that prove Hawthorne includes
First, in most of Hawthorne’s literary works he illustrates sin. There is many ways sin is shown in “Young Goodman Brown”. The members …show more content…
It is shown by the way the main character, Mr. Hooper’s, sin is compared is to dust. There is a struggle with fidelity, or the faithfulness of a person, to hold up the nature of Mr. Hooper (Emmett 4). He is said to be “a false and sin-stained creature of dust” (Emmett 4). In the story it is stated that the townspeople express “more wonder than if some strange minister were coming to dust the cushions of Mr. Hooper’s pulpit” (Meyer390). This conveys they feel as if the man in the pulpit isn’t even their reverend. It is put forward he wears the veil in order to hide his sin. It is obvious in the story he wants to suppress his sin, because he goes as far as to hide his face to try and cover his sin. He is hiding his face from the shine of the earth but the veil only draws the people of the towns’ attention to secret sin (Emmett6). Hooper’s veil brings his engagement with Elizabeth to a closing; the veil is the obstacle separating him from the other people in the town (Emmett 7). His wife says to him “Lift the veil but once, and look me in the face” he replies with “Never! It cannot be!” Her reply is “Then, farewell!” (Meyer395). The reason he doesn’t remove the veil is to provide a moralistic lesson (Isolation 9). Hooper sees a figurative veil on everyone, this is proved when he states “I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!”(Meyer 397). These are the examples in “The Ministers Black Veil” that prove Hawthorne includes