Themes In Hawthorne's The Minister's Black Veil

Part I of Essay
Like many writers of his time, Hawthorne emphasized man's inner reality, and those thoughts and feelings which are not immediately apparent. As he explored this internal nature, he not only found the source of dignity and virtue, but also certain elements of darkness and v ....

Part II of Essay
.... it creates between the minister and his environment, and the guilt that it expresses. Many people believe that the face provides information about a person's underlying characteristics and, therefore, about his or her probable behavior. Thus, by wearing the veil, the minister takes away the basis on which people can predict his behavior. This is the main cause of the minister's isolation, although he is made unpredictable already by the mere act of wearing the veil. Part of the frightening effect of the veil derives from the knowledge that the ....