Young Goodman Brown And Ministers Black Veil English Literature Essay

Nathanial Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Minister's Black Veil" are
similar in many ways. Both works of literature center on the concepts of sin and
human nature, and how the two are related. Both of Nathanial Hawthorne's works,
"Young Goodman Brown" and "The Minister's Black Veil", are stories of how we all
are susceptible to sin, vulnerable to committing evil acts, prone to being
hypocritical and judging of others, and at risk of distancing ourselves from others
when we learn of their faults.

"The Minister's Black Veil is set in a town of Milford. It begins on a Sunday morning
church service, where the Reverend Mr. Hooper is wearing a black veil, which
reaches from his forehead to his mouth, to preach his sermon. All of the
parishioners in the church are in shock of this veil. Mr. Hooper does not explain the
veil, but goes on to preach his sermon about secret sin. The veil seemed to intensify
the sermon so much, that some had to leave. Prior to church and after, the
parishioners speculate as to why the Mr. Hooper is wearing the veil. Although
everyone was talking about it, no one asked Mr. Hooper personally why he was
wearing the veil. During his afternoon sermon, Mr. Hooper continues wearing the
veil. The parishioners begin to question his sanity. The veil seems to add power to
his words. After the sermon, Mr. Hooper presides over a funeral service of a woman.
He stands over her as she lies in the coffin. "The clergyman stepped into the room
where the corpse was laid, and bent over the coffin, to take a last farewell of his
deceased parishioner. As he stooped, the veil hung straight down from his forehead,
so that, if her eyelids had not been closed for ever, the dead maiden might have
seen his face" (Hawthorne, 2433). An old superstitious woman said that she saw the
corpse shudder, and some said that they believe that they saw Mr. Hooper walking
hand in hand with the dead woman. That evening, in what is supposed to be a
joyous occasion, is met with melancholy when Mr. Hooper officiates the wedding of
the town's most handsome couple, while wearing the veil. During the wedding the
bride's fingers grow cold, some people thought the dead woman had returned to be
married, and Mr. Hooper sees his image, become frightened, spills his wine on the
floor, and leaves in a hurry. A group of parishioners decide to form together to ask
Mr. Hooper about the veil, but they could not do it. Elizabeth, Mr. Hooper's fiance,
was the only one not fearful of asking Mr. Hooper the question. When she asks, he
offers a mysterious answer. Elizabeth then asked him to remove the veil once to rid
the town of the rumors. But he refuses, and she asks one final time for him to
remove the veil. He again refuses, and she refuses to marry him. After that, no one
tries to get Mr. Hooper to remove the veil. The congregation continues to gossip,
and people look at him with dread, while children run away. The veil does however,
make him an effective preacher. On Mr. Hooper's death bed, when Reverend Mr.
Clark goes to lift the veil, Mr. Hooper does not let him. He describes the veil as a
symbol of secret sin. Mr. Hooper dies with the veil still intact. Even years after his
death, people still tremble at the thought of him in the grave with the black veil.

"Young Goodman Brown" is set in the town of Salem, Massachusetts. At the

beginning of the story, Goodman Brown is described as being young, and a
newlywed. His wife's name is Faith. Mr. Brown must go on a trip, and his wife begs
him not to go. He goes into the forest. He meets an old man, who is the Devil. The
old man bares a resemblance to Mr. Brown, and he carries a cane that is shaped like
a black snake. He invites Brown to journey along with him. Mr. Brown is hesitant to
join him, and mention the fact that his family would not have gone on a walk like
this one. Although, the old man tells how he knows Goodman Brown's family. The
old man states, "I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the
Quaker woman so smartly through the streets of Salem. And it was I that brought
your father a pitch -pine knot, kindled at my own hearth, to set fire to and Indian
village, in King Phillip's War" (Hawthorne, 2423). On the path, they meet Goody
Cloyse, who knows the old man. She was Goodman Brown's religious teacher when
he was a child. Even though she has such a strong religious nature and affiliation,
she is a witch. Goodman Brown understands from their meeting that there is going
to be a witch meeting. On down the path in the forest, he sees the minister and
deacon are also on their way to the witch meeting. Goodman Brown then hears his
wife Faith's voice, and soon discovers that she is at the witch's meeting. Goodman
Brown wants Faith to resist, but soon finds that he is alone in the forest. Once he
returns to town, he becomes distant from everyone. He never finds out if his
experience was a dream or reality.

We are all susceptible to sin. That is a theme that is displayed in both works.