The Minister's Black Veil Symbolism

Nathaniel Hathorne, one of my personal favorite writers, and the greatest writer in American Fiction, was originally born in Massachusetts; July 4th, 1804 (which, later-on he added a ‘w’ in his name). He was the only Son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Clark Hathorne, and at a young age, is father died from the yellow fever while at sea in 1808. Nathaniel believed that his own Puritan Heritage, haunted him because of the sins his forefathers committed were all divine retribution. He became immobile for several months after injuring his leg, and led him to believe it was the sins of his ancestors that made him live his life struggling. Likewise, in some of his works he talks about his own Puritan fathers, who were viewed as holy people, but underneath

Nathaniel knows sin almost too well, and his most successful book and short stories all revolve on dark themes and sin. Though, a powerful element that Nathaniel uses is his symbolism. For instance, in the Ministers Black Veil, he used “a black veil” to emphasize that every has a secret they are not willing to tell the world (Ministers black Veil s.6). Since the minister is the only one that knows (through confession) he see’s past their appearances and sees a burdening “shade” (Ministers Black Veil). Likewise, his use of shading becomes symbolic; for instance, a tree gives out shade on one of its side, and on the other side it is engulfed in light. People choose to sit where the shade is, meaning they choose to sin, and when the sun changes position so does the shadow. It gives people a chose whether to stay in the warmth of the light, or continue to follow the shade. He also uses Ministers and priests as a symbolic element to his works. Even his priests “hid[] dreams” and seemed to conduct in “stranger things” than their followers (David Swan S.2 & S.11). Youth is also used symbolically, and it shows how “innocent[ly]” they view the world, while the others struggle in their “wakefulness” (David swan S.10 & S.6). The youth is innocent, full of “bright faces”, who seem to fall in the same pit as their own parents. Which is a reason why youth is played strongly in his works. The youth does not entirely understand the misconceptions done by the world, but they carry the same sin done by those before them. He uses light, shadows, youth, and priests to convey a lesson to his readers about sin. No one can escape it, and we all fall into it. No matter how much we try to be pure, there is always a shade that we all sit in. Nathaniel had a great ‘understandment of how real personal impurity’ was because of his own ‘connection of saddening events in his