Preview

A Comparison in the Theme of Sin Between "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1359 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
A Comparison in the Theme of Sin Between "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
A Comparison in the theme of Sin between "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Name: Hajyahya Aseel
ID.: 201407681
Submitted to: Alias Natanela
Introduction to American literature
Due to: 26.5.2011

A Comparison in the theme of Sin between "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel's Hawthorne most famous masterpiece "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Minister's Black Veil" share and explore the same theme, the theme of sin, especially the secret sin. In this essay I will discuss the sin of the main characters in "the scarlet letter" and 'the minister black veil". Also compare and contrast the sin of each character with the other main characters.
The main protagonists of the scarlet letter are Hester Prynne and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The scarlet letter is mainly about the "A" letter word, "adultery", how the sin of both Hester and Dimmesdale affects their life and the life of all the characters. The short story "the minister's black veil', is about the minister Reverend Hooper and sins.
The Minister’s Black Veil is about the pastor, Mister Hooper and the instant, unexplainable, and dramatic change of his appearance. Reverend Hooper placed a black veil, "swathed about his forehead, and hanging down over his face, so low as to be shaken by his breath, Mr. Hooper had on a black veil. Though the minister’s actions do not change, people’s reactions to him do, including those of his congregation and his beloved Elizabeth. People are afraid and intimidated by the veil that hides his features and seems to separate him from the rest of mankind. They believe that Mr. Hooper must be hiding some secret sin, and the sight of him wearing the black veil reminds them of their own private transgressions.

"The Scarlet Letter", is about a free woman, Hester who came to a certain Puritan community to prepare a home for her husband.
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Hester Prynne Social Pressure
    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Hester Prynne Social Pressure

    The Scarlet Letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This essay discusses how Hester is a victim of her social pressure. She was punished for something she did to achieve her dream of having someone that loves her. Hester committed adultery with minister Dimmesdale and had a child with him, Pearl. Her punishment was to stand on the scaffold with her child and wear the letter A on her breast as a sign of her “crime”. Due to the strictures of the puritan society, Hester Prynne suffers from public shaming. She almost lost her only child, and was not able to openly love who she wanted.…

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing Sinners And Minister's Black Veil
    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Comparing Sinners And Minister's Black Veil

    The two texts titled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and “The Minister’s Black Veil” written by Jonathan Edwards and Nathaniel Hawthorne share some similarities and differences in terms of themes. Also, the styles developed throughout the story share a couple similarities and differences as well.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    An Analysis Of Hester Prynne's The Scarlet Letter
    • 52 Words
    • 1 Page

    An Analysis Of Hester Prynne's The Scarlet Letter

    The Scarlet Letter is known for its enigmatic story telling nature through its author within an author within another author narration. Or simply yet Hester Prynne’s story, twice removed. Through this profound story of a young woman, Hester Prynne, living in the tenacious and pedestrian Puritan society of the New England…

    • 52 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay Comparing The Scarlet Letter And The Minister's Black Veil
    • 2035 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Essay Comparing The Scarlet Letter And The Minister's Black Veil

    Covering up one`s entire face is criticized in the Puritan society because it suggests that one is ashamed, has committed a sin or is crazy. Puritans establish these norms as a way of acknowledging that they are pure but because Hopper wears a veil he is no longer seen as pure but is looked as someone who has gone against puritan norms. Hooper is a minister who decides to wear a black veil because he wants everyone to realize that they all have secret sins like himself, but instead, the community views the veil as a “horrible black veil …. portend[ing] nothing but evil” (413). This suggests that by violating the norm and covering up one`s face with a black veil it suggests that the devil has influenced an individual to commit a sin. Puritans view the color black as death, which symbolizes the devil which is also why they view wearing a black veil as sinful and against puritan norms. Wearing a black veil would then symbolize sin and bring consequences to that individual in this case…

    • 2035 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hester Prynne In The Scarlett Letter
    • 976 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Hester Prynne In The Scarlett Letter

    The Scarlet Letter is one of the first novels ever written to feature a strong female character as the lead role. Hester Prynne is punished for committing adultery against her ex husband Roger Dimmesdale. She is to be punished for seven, horrific, lonely years of her and her daughter, Pearl, lives. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is punished in three different ways.…

    • 976 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Irony In The Scarlet Letter
    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Irony In The Scarlet Letter

    Nathaniel Hawthorne promotes the idea of socially on brought guilt through the interactions of characters and Puritan beliefs in The Scarlet Letter. He masterfully depicts a newly settled New England and it's strict religious faith, which is still seen in much of New England today. He uses symbolism, irony and to fully bring out the true potential of his story.…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rhetorical Strategies In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'
    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Rhetorical Strategies In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'

    Common throughout religious stories we read today mainly focuses on how the author feels about their faith. However, in Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter it composed a both beautiful and tragic story while still creating a deep impact on the conflicting views of the society and nature in the Puritan society. Hawthorne uses his main characters in this novel to focus on three main rhetorical strategies; symbolism, hypocrisy and maliciousness. While using these strategies Hawthorne is able to create a story of a woman who was condemned and exposed of her sin in the Puritan Society.…

    • 986 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Arthur Dimmesdale's Redemption In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Arthur Dimmesdale's Redemption In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

    Both the Bible and Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter, redemption from sin is a prominent theme. Hawthorne and the Bible recognize that sin is inevitable - humans, as a part of life, sin. However, it is accepting and growing from these sins that allow peace of mind. The experience of Arthur Dimmesdale parallels that of the Bible's story of King David and Bathsheba and demonstrates that sin is a natural, unavoidable part of human life, but having committed a sin without confession leads to a life of internal turmoil and guilt.…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Sin In The Scarlet Letter
    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Role Of Sin In The Scarlet Letter

    Sin is considered to be a morally bad act in the Christian faith. In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritans’ views on human nature were affected by their belief in original sin. Nathaniel Hawthorne allows the reader to see the significant role that sin plays in human experience and in the Puritan society in which Hester Prynne lived in through the use of symbols in his novel. The symbols that are present convey messages about how humans should deal with their flawed nature and the negative effects that sin has on the body, mind, and soul.…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Far Is Too Far In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Far Is Too Far In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    Nathaniel Hawthorne’s representation of the Puritan’s strict religious ways in his novel, The Scarlet Letter, wasn’t just an observation of the problematic religious society, but, rather, a criticism of their extremist beliefs. The Scarlet Letter forces its audience to realize how sins are severely punished, and how religion is an enormous contributor to historical conflicts and the part it has played in the most recent wave of terrorism and religious controversy.…

    • 456 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Minister's Black Veil Analysis
    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Minister's Black Veil Analysis

    Hawthorne focuses more on the imperfections of a religion, where their belief is of a perfect society without any faults or sins. Hawthorne knows this is impossible, because everyone hides a sin, which they will even keep from God. In “The Minister’s Black Veil”, Hawthorne shows this secret sin in order…

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sin And Redemption In The Scarlet Letter
    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sin And Redemption In The Scarlet Letter

    In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes Puritan ideology to convey a philosophical reflection on sin and redemption. Adulteress Hester Prynne must wear a scarlet A to mark her shame, and while her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, remains unidentified and is wracked with guilt, her husband, Roger Chillingworth, seeks revenge. Although all three characters contemplate redemption, it is only Hester that chooses to confront her sin; Dimmesdale and Chillingworth refuse. This decision is heavily influenced by their respective morals. Hester’s morals of truth, forgiveness, and honesty allow her to be almost fully redeemed in the eyes of the public, whereas Dimmesdale's perverse loyalty to the morally corrupt society that hinders his love for…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Romanticism In Scarlet Letter
    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Romanticism In Scarlet Letter

    Nathaniel Hawthorne uses romanticism to portray the human soul under extreme pressures. Romanticism emphasizes individuality, imagination to discover truth, and values intuition over reason. Then, Romanticism branches out into Dark Romanticism, which embodies horrific themes, presents that individuals are prone to sin and self-destruction, affected psychologically from sin and guilt. In “The Scarlet Letter”, Nathaniel Hawthorne employs elements of romanticism and symbolism to communicate the idea that sin and guilt has a great impact in the manifestations of humans.…

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Reoccurring Themes and Symbols
    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Reoccurring Themes and Symbols

    Reoccurring Themes and Symbols in Different Works by Nathaniel Hawthorne It is no secret that Nathaniel Hawthorne 's "The Minister 's Black Veil" is a parable. Hawthorne intended it as such and even gave the story the subtitle "a parable." "The Minister 's Black Veil," however, was not Hawthorne 's only parable. Hawthorne often used symbols and figurative language to give added meaning to the literal interpretations of his work. His Puritan ancestry also influenced much of Hawthorne 's work. Instead of agreeing with Puritanism however, Hawthorne would criticize it through the symbols and themes in his stories and parables. Several of these symbols and themes reoccur in Hawthorne 's "The Minister 's Black Veil," "Young Goodman Brown", and The Scarlet Letter. One particularly noticeable theme in Hawthorne 's work is that of secret sin (Newman 338). In the "Young Goodman Brown", this theme is evident when young Mr. Brown dreams that he is led by the devil to a witching party. There he sees all of the honorable and pious members of society, including his minister and the woman who taught him his catechisms, communing with the prince of darkness. Upon awakening, the hypocritical nature of his once admired neighbors and the realization of his own secret sin causes him to become terribly disillusioned (Colacurcio 396). The same thing happens in "The Minister 's Black Veil," except the reader does not know exactly what secret sin makes Reverend Hooper begin to don the black veil. Many scholars believe that this has something to do with the funeral of the young lady at the beginning of the story. The opinions range from believing that Reverend Hooper loved the girl in secret, to Poe 's believe that Reverend Hooper may have actually been the cause of the girl 's death (Newman 204). Whatever the reason, the minister 's wearing of the veil taints his view of everyone else around him, making all of them look like they are wearing veils as well (Hawthorne…

    • 1012 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Minister's Black Veil
    • 1873 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The Minister's Black Veil

    The story begins with the minister appearing before his congregation on a Sunday morning, this is when he is first seen with the black veil, it covers most of his face except the mouth and chin. The town’s people immediately start gossiping, some say that the reverend has gone mad; others believe that he is hiding a shameful sin. Some readers may believe that the town’s people were right and that the minister was hiding something. The veil covers his eyes; they say that the eyes are a window to the soul so the fact that he is covering them may suggest that he really did comment a sinful act and is trying to hide his shame from the world.…

    • 1873 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More

Related Topics