Puritanism in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil" Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil" is a story about sin and the dark side of the Puritan religion. Hawthorne was a descendent of Puritan immigrants and grew up in Salem, Massachusetts where Puritanism was quite prevalent. While his story emphasizes Puritan beliefs, it criticizes those with which he disagrees. Through the use of symbols, Hawthorne uses his writing as a channel to prove the hypocrisy and …showed first 75 words of 740 total…

…showed last 75 words of 740 total…the time. While Hawthorne's story made a thought provoking point, it did not change the behavior of society. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathniel. "The Minister's Black Veil." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: Norton & Company, 2003. Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 1: Early American Literature 1700 - American Puritanism: A Brief Introduction." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature A research and Reference Guide - An Ongoing Project. http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap1/1intro.html