Hawthorne Essay

Hawthorne Essay

In Nathaniel Hawthorne?s short stories ?The Minister?s Black Veil?, ?The Birthmark?, and ?Rappaccini?s Daughter?, common themes were presented throughout the stories. The leading characters in the stories portrayed pride, cold intellectuality, and isolation. ?The Minister?s Black Veil? was about a minister named Mr. Hooper who placed a black veil over his face to gain power over his congregation. ?The Birthmark? was regarding a scientist named Alymer whose ultimate goal was to remove a birthmark off of his wife?s face. ?Rappaccini?s Daughter? was about a scientist named Dr. Rappaccini who created a Garden of Eden, made his daughter poisonous, and lured a man in to be her husband. All of the stories illustrated the character?s desire for power over others and the consequences brought as a result of the power.
Mr. Hooper, Alymer, and Dr. Rappaccini all exhibited pride in what they were trying to achieve. Mr. Hooper intended to wear a black veil for one sermon, but after feeling the power that it imposed on him, he decided never to take it off. The power over the congregation gave him pride in what he was accomplishing as he states, ?This dismal shade must separate me from the world?. Mr. Hooper took pride in delivering the normal Sunday sermon, but the black veil brought on new powers over every member that left the minister even more gratified. Alymer first took pride in being a great scientist as Hawthorne states, ?there live a man of science, an eminent proficient in every branch of natural philosophy? and ?He had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies ever to be weaned from them by any second passion?. After Alymer was wed, he took pride in combining his new love with his foremost passion of science in trying to remove a birthmark from her face. Although the potion he created killed his wife, Alymer nonetheless took pride in the science of creating a potion that did actually remove the birthmark. Rappaccini was prideful in the creation of his daughter and at the same time the creation of a new flower. He took pride in his plant experimentation and in trying to create the perfect Garden of Eden for his daughter.
Cold intellectuality was portrayed by Mr. Hooper, Alymer, and Dr. Rappaccini in Hawthorne?s stories. Mr. Hooper?s wife-to-be brought it to his attention that the congregation might suspect the black veil was to cover up the sin of pre-marital sex as she says, ?there may be whispers, that you hide your face under the consciousness of secret sin.? But the minister was not willing to remove the veil to save the relationship with his sweetheart. His coldness let his only chance of love be driven away so that he could absorb the power of the veil. Alymer?s cold intellectuality was presented in how he convinced his new wife that a birthmark on her face was a monstrous imperfection even though she had never felt this way previously. After several attempts to fix his wife?s face he tells her, ?Only one thing remains to be tried. If that fails us we are ruined.? Alymer?s coldness destroys his wife?s image of herself and in the end destroys her. Dr. Rappaccini was a botanist trying to create the Garden of Eden, but only thought of himself. Dr. Rappaccini was so cold that he turned his only daughter into a poisonous woman and did the same to a stranger whom he thought would be a good companion for his daughter. All was done in the name of science with no consideration of anyone else?s suffering.
While they did not intend to, in the end Mr. Hooper, Alymer, and Dr. Rappaccini were returned back to their isolation. By wearing the veil, Mr. Hooper isolated himself from the congregation and ultimately forced his soon-to-be wife to leave him. He was left by himself and by planning to wear the veil to his grave he foreshadowed that he will always be alone. After Alymer left his lab to an assistant, he did find a wife. But he was so obsessed with a birthmark on her face that he killed her trying to remove it and is left to return back the lab again all alone. Dr. Rappaccini kept himself isolated in his garden and forced his daughter to be isolated also by making her poisonous. She gets a hold of an antidote so that she will no longer remain isolated from the world, but in turn, it kills her. Dr. Rappaccini is again all by himself, isolated in his garden.
These were inspiring stories that made the reader think about how the actions of one can affect many others. Pride, cold intellectuality, and isolation were displayed by all three leading characters throughout Hawthorne?s stories. None of the characters ever felt sinful or guilty. If they had considered the thoughts or feelings of others maybe they all would not be alone and isolated in the finish. Mr. Hooper took so much pleasure in the power of his veil that he allowed his fianc? to leave him. Alymer was so involved in his scientific experiment that his final trial of fixing his wife?s face killed her. Dr. Rappaccini knew from the very beginning that making his daughter poisonous would force his daughter into isolation her entire life. In conclusion, the pride and coldness of these characters left the reader outraged by their thoughtless actions and the effects it imposed on their situations.