Behind the Veil

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During his life, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote many stories that delved into the psychology and the reality of what it is to be a human being. Although considered a most private person, which even Hawthorne himself once said that he wanted to keep, "the inmost Me behind its veil" (Norton 369), his writings are so vivid in both characterization and details that there is no doubt that he was a very perceptive and smart man. Examples of his insight-fullness appear within stories such as The Scarlet Letter, Young Goodman Brown, The Haunted Mind, and The Minister's Black Veil. One of his short stories, The Minister's Black Veil, uses symbolism and people's actions to reveal human nature. The main reason of the black veil is to symbolize the hiding of one's sins. In the story, the minister is purposely showing off the “ugliness” that he has through wearing the veil over his face. He is revealing his darkness and imperfection to all that saw him, whereas others hide there sins under false pretenses, as if they were non existent. The towns people, although ignorant of the true reason of why he ...

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