Part 1 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 violence. In The Minister's Black Veil, these eleme ....

Part 2 of Essay
.... of the black veil lies in the physical and mental barrier that 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 w ....