The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne Research Proposal

The Ministers Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Research Proposal Exampleveil, a pass on regarding the power of the symbol itself as a symbol and the importance of considering individual interpretation as a part of this meaning.Nathanial Hawthorne wrote from a deep immersion in the Puritan world, having had ancestors that landed on North American soil with a Bible in one hand and a sword in the other, lively to tame the wilderness (Swisher, 1996). His hometown of Salem, Massachusetts was the setting for the most brutal witch trials documented in this domain and his education reinforced the beliefs espoused by such trials and the religion that made them possible. These charms figured strongly in his writings, practically forming the basis of his tales. This is true whether he was writing short stories or longer novels, whether he was writing of generation long past or of a more contemporary period and whether he set his stories in his homeland or moved them all the way across the sea into Italy. The way that Hawthorne used this influence reveals a deep questioning of the validity of the beliefs to which hed been raised to adhere (Erlich, 1984). Few of his stories project straight-forward tales that are easily understood on first reading. Some, like his short story The Ministers Black Veil, leave a great deal open for speculation. The meaning of the government ministers black veil has been debated since the story was first printed, but it seems clear that the veil is intended to symbolize something frequently greater than a quick assessment might imply.The story itself seems simple enough. It opens as the village muckle are called to the church for a normal Sunday mass and the minister emerges wearing a heavy black veil. The veil permits his mouth and chin to be seen, being just long enough to be touched by his breath, but keeps his eyes constantly shrouded from the rest of the world. The congregation responds to this strange appearance of their mini ster as he takes his place in the church, delivers his sermon and then attempts to