Goodness and Sin in the Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Romantics viewed man as inherently good, believing in the purity and semi-

divineness of human nature. Nathaniel Hawthorne however has a different, somewhat more

realistic and pessimistic view of man and his motives. “The Minister’s Black Veil” and

“Young Goodman Brown” both deal with the topic of sin and man’s constant struggles to

confront and overcome his wretchedness. Both of these stories recognize that sin and evil are

realities which every person must acknowledge and face in his life.

Mr. Hooper, the main protagonist of “The Minister’s Black Veil”, is portrayed as a

character which is inwardly torn apart by the realization that the people of his congregation,

supposedly devoted Puritans, are not inherently good. They may view themselves as having

high moral and spiritual standards, but Mr. Hooper, being their pastor, knows better: He

realizes that almost every person has a “secret sin”, and that this dark aspect of the human

soul is a part of man’s nature which can neither be ignored nor denied. Hooper himself can be

described as someone who sincerely struggles to lead a live of goodness and purity, even

being regarded by other as “a blameless example, holy in deed and thought”, but is ultimately

forced to accept the fact that good and evil both exist in his community. The piece of crape he

wears over his face is the symbol he chooses to constantly remind himself and his

parishioners of the persistent presence of sin amongst them, because “most […] mortals have

sorrows dark enough to be typified by a black veil.” This however makes the people around

him feel uncomfortable because they would rather continue to believe in their own inherent

goodness than explore their true nature. Therefore they regard Hooper as a threat, even

implying that, by wearing the veil he “has changed into something awful” or “gone mad”. In a

certain sense these parishioners represent the Romantics whose views Hawthorne criticizes.

They turn a blind eye to sin, evil and wretchedness, although these are realities of our earthly

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existence. This attitude however is one of delusion and self-denial which does not further, but

hinder any kind of moral or spiritual progress.

Similarly, Young Goodman Brown, the main protagonist of Hawthorne’s short story

of the same title, is also a character who is inwardly divided between his sincere desire to lead

a life of goodness, symbolized by his aptly named wife Faith, and the lure of sin and darkness,

symbolized by “he of the serpent”, a character reminiscent of the devil. The whole journey of

Goodman Brown is a struggle to resist the almost irresistible lure of sin, and to return to the

Puritan lifestyle of his wife, his community, and his forefathers, who “have been a race of

good Christians”. The somewhat cynical twist of the story reveals however that exactly the

people who are apparent representations of the inherent goodness of man, such as the

Reverend, Deacon Gookin and his wife Faith, also succumb to the temptations of sin and evil,

participating in the nightly worship ceremony which is a metaphorical representation of man

embracing his sinful nature. Even old Goody Cloyse (again a very symbolical name), despite

the fact that she has taught young Goodman the catechism, is referred to as the devil’s “old

friend”. The serpent man also reveals to Goodman that he has “a very general acquaintance

here in New-England”, implying that not even the heads of the state and the churches are

immune to the temptations of evil. As with “The Minister’s Black Veil”, we can clearly see

Hawthorne’s intention to point out that, while man may seem good on the outside, he still

carries within him an attraction to “secret sin” and forbidden pleasures.

In both stories, Hawthorne’s different view of human nature when compared to that of

the Romantics is evident. Both main characters want to lead a life of goodliness and

compassion according to the Christian-Puritan values which they hold in high esteem. But at

the same time, both of them are forced to realize that evil and sin are realities, and both men

are afflicted by a somewhat consuming desire to understand the machinations of “secret sin”

within themselves and within their fellow men. Contrary to the Romantics, Hawthorne sees

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the necessity of confronting his readers with the darker aspects of human existence and with

the – often outwardly unseen – depravity which dwells within the hearts of men. For him,

humans are neither inherently good nor inherently evil, but of a dual nature. Life on this earth

is a constant struggle to strive for goodness and morality, but these are not inborn qualities,

but virtues that need to be attained by confronting the temptations of sin and overcoming

them. The fact that both protagonists ultimately fail to come to terms with either their own

sinfulness or that of the people around them, shows that Hawthorne is somewhat pessimistic

in his assessment of human nature. This is exemplified by Goodman Brown’s desperate cry:

“There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name”. While Hawthorne does acknowledge that

man has a certain potential for goodness, he is at the same time realistic enough to know that

no one will ever be able to fully live up to this. This somewhat negative realism is the main

distinction between Hawthorne and the Romantics.

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