Theme Of Perfection In The Minister's Black Veil

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In the collection of short stories written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hawthorne explores the idea of perfection and how it is something that is not necessarily achievable, which is blatantly stated by Salvador Dali when he once said “Have no fear of perfection - you’ll never reach it”. Furthermore, James Stephens once stated, “Finality is death. Perfection is finality. Nothing is perfect...”. This idea that perfection is not an attainable objective till death is exemplified in three of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s collection of short stories. These three stores all evaluate the subject of perfection slightly differently.“The Birthmark” delves into the idea that nothing is perfect, “The Minister’s Black Veil” analyzes the concept that finality is death, and “Rappaccini’s Daughter” tests the idea that perfection is finality.
The short story “The Birthmark” demonstrates that nobody can be perfect. Georgiana’s birthmark is a physical representation of this …show more content…

This idea contradicts the interpretation that is shown in “Rappaccini’s Daughter”. In “The Minister’s Black Veil” perfection is not finality. The black veil is a symbolic figure that is the embodiment of human’s inherent nature to sin. This is displayed when Hooper says “if I hide my face for sorrow, there is cause enough, and if I cover it for secret sin, what mortal might not do the same?” (Hawthorne, Elements of literature 245). This line in the short story is a rhetorical question that is used to state his actual intentions for wearing the veil. The perception of finality being death is truly exemplified when Hooper decides to be buried with his black veil. This insinuates that when death comes, we will not be able to escape the sins we have committed, rather we will die forever bearing our sins. This alludes to the idea that finality is simply death for if we are all die with our sins then we cannot reach that state of perfection or salvation in our

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