The Ministers Black Veil And The Scarlet Letter - 1000 Words

Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the most contemporary American writers of all time, was the great nephew of Judge Hathorne. Who was one of the prime judges of the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. Although Nathaniel hated his uncle for his efforts during the horrific trials, he became obsessed with his ideals of puritanism. Through these ideals he became a anti-transcendentalist; someone who believes that naturally we are born evil and society is the only thing that keeps us from provoking chaos. Therefore, Hawthorne’s novels, The Minister’s Black Veil and The Scarlet Letter were both set in puritan towns in the 1600’s, even though he was alive in the 18th century. The Scarlet Letter, which Hawthorne is best known for, is a fictional story†¦show more content†¦But, like a Rose’s beauty even they can be good after they have sinned. Therefore, between the Wild Rosebush and it’s symbolism the theme of Hawthorne’s novel is Imperfection. S imilarly, Hawthorne uses Pearl to contribute to the theme of Imperfection. Pearl is the daughter of Hester and Dimmesdale, or in other words the product of adultery. After Hester is sent to prison, Pearl is born. Which was just 3 months before she and her mother had to present themselves on the scaffold in town. Hawthorne explains, â€Å"She bore a child in her arms, a baby of three months old, who winked....because it’s existence...acquainted only with the gray twilight of a dungeon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hawthorne 50). The prison is a place of punishment and pure wickedness. Hawthorne explains that from the beginning of her life, Pearl was born into evil. Nonetheless, like any other child brought into the world she was still a gift from God, the prime example of Imperfection. Pearl was very intelligent and beautiful at a young age, but she still had an evil aspect to her that Hester saw firsthand. Pearl would sometimes show her mother affection but would quickly cover it up with v ile laughter. Hester explains, â€Å"She is my happiness-she is my torture...Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too!† (Hawthorne 109). Proving Pearl was a faulty gift that Hester had to work hard for to keep. WithShow MoreRelatedA Comparison of The Scarlet Letter and The Ministers Black Veil722 Words   |  3 Pagesand life. In his works, The Scarlet Letter and The Ministers Black Veil, Hawthorne uses symbolism to present a common theme pertaining to religion; that though manifested sin will ostracize a person from society, un-confessed sin will destroy the soul. The central theme in The Scarlet Letter is that manifested sin will ostracize one from society and un-confessed sin will lead to the destruction of the inner spirit. Hawthorne uses the symbol of the scarlet letter to bring out this idea. InRead MoreMain Themes of Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter and The Ministers Black Veil769 Words   |  4 PagesNathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter and The Ministers Black Veil Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works often have parallel themes and similar characters. His approach is quite gloomy and the atmosphere for his stories is many times sad and depressing. Hawthorne concentrates his novel and short stories around the Puritan community, which adds to the tense and unforgiving atmosphere. One of his most renowned novels, The Scarlet Letter and his short story, The Minister’s Black Veil contain many of his typicalRead More Romanticism in Scarlet Letter, Ministers Black Veil, and Young Goodman Brown2077 Words   |  9 PagesAmerican Romanticism in The Scarlet Letter, The Ministers Black Veil, and Young Goodman Brown      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne took elements of the European romanticism and reshaped them into a new literary form that is called American Romanticism. The American Romanticists created a form that, at first glance, seems ancient and traditional; they borrowed from classical romance, adapted pastoral themes and incorporated Gothic elements (Reuben 22). Some of the definable elements of romanticismRead MoreEssay Sin, Guilt, and the Mind of Nathaniel Hawthorne1490 Words   |  6 Pagesinfluenced his writing. Readers can easily recognize how Young Goodman Brown incorporates facts about his Puritan ancestors. Father Hooper in The Ministers Black Veil may be symbolically paralleled to Hawthornes ancestors, trying to hide a sin they have committed. His descendants remarks on him in The Custom House introduction to The Scarlet Letter mix pride in Hawthornes prominence and a sense of inherited guilt for his deeds as judge. Hawthornes guilt of wrongs committed by his ancestor sRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne1422 Words   |  6 Pages The eighteenth-century author, Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. He was most famous for his writings The Scarlet Letter, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† and an abundant array of other books and short stories. The stories that are mentioned contain a copious amount of symbolism throughout the entirety of each book. All the stories that he ever wrote have an underlying meaning and the symbolism was hidden within in the names, characters, placesRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter And The Ministers Black Veil1146 Words   |  5 PagesHernandez Honors American literature West 15 October 2015 Nathaniel Hawthorne Utilization of Symbolism Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of both stories The Scarlet Letter and â€Å"The Ministers Black Veil† utilizes symbols to show the lasting impact it leaves on the individual and in the community around them. In The Scarlet Letter and â€Å"The Ministers Black Veil† both main characters Hester Prynne and Reverend Mr. Hopper both have symbols in which both are of great significance. Hester’s symbol is an embroideredRead MoreEssay Nathaniel Hawthorne1152 Words   |  5 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s hatred of Puritanism was so big that he described in many of his writing such as The Scarlet Letter and The Minster Black Veil. He usually satirized them as evildoers and sin creators, not holy and Christ zealous as they described themselves. Hawthorne also used the effects of mysterious human mind and spontaneous action to describe the Puritan as satanic worship and God disobedience. In result, his writing reflected much of his Puritan ancestry affections. Nathaniel HawthorneRead MoreEssay Theme of Alienation in Literature929 Words   |  4 PagesThe harsh judgmental conditions of Puritan society are the cause of isolation for these characters and eventually lead to their damnation. The literary works written by Hawthorne, such as Young Goodman Brown, The Ministers Black Veil, and The Scarlet Letter, all contain characters that face these types of conditions. Goodman Brown, Minister Hooper, and Hester Pryne are isolated from society because of their guilty consciences, and desire to hide their shame. EventuallyRead MoreEssay about Nathaniel Hawthornes Use of Symbolism482 Words   |  2 Pagesworks by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he uses symbols for secret sin in The Scarlet Letter, â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil,† and â€Å"Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment.† As seen in The Scarlet letter, the symbol for secret sin is the Scarlet letter â€Å"A.† The â€Å"A† represents the sin in which Hester commits adultery with the town’s minister, Dimmesdale. One example of secret sin is when Hester first walks out of prison; for the first time she wore the letter â€Å"A† on her breast to show her crime. The â€Å"A† very well representsRead MoreThe Minister s Black Veil949 Words   |  4 PagesThe Minister’s Black Veil The Minister’s Black Veil is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1836. In this short story, Minister Mr. Hooper shows up one day at church wearing a black veil on his face. This black veil covers his face except his mouth and chin. The people of the town Milford begin to speculate on why Mr. Hooper wears this veil, whether he has been inflicted by an illness or if he is hiding a secret. When he refuses to remove the veil or tell the townspeople why he wears