reason, the minister’s wearing of the veil taints his view of everyone else around him, making all of them look like they are wearing veils as well (Hawthorne 107). Dimmesdale’s secret sin with Hester Prynne is admitted at the end of the story, but the theme of secret sin is not as used as strongly in this novel as it was in Hawthorne’s stories (Dryden 147). However, two of the main themes in The Scarlet Letter are visible in both of the other stories. The first is the corruption of the clergy. In The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Dimmesdale is a good pastor. He is not, however, the Puritan ideal of what a pastor should be. He is human, and gives in to human desires when he sleeps with Hester Prynne. Both Reverend Hooper and the minister in “Young Goodman Brown” are corrupt as well. Reverend Hooper’s sins with the deceased young lady are hinted at, but still ambiguous. The minister in “Young Goodman Brown” is a much better example of corrupt clergy. He is in attendance at the witches’ meeting just one day before he would go before his congregation and preach the word of God. This is no doubt another reflection of Hawthorne’s belief in the hypocrisy of Puritanism.Another element common in these three works by Hawthorne is the way that sin ostracizes one from society. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester’s is branded with a symbol of her sin, so her separation from society is forced as a form of punishment. She is not physically removed from society, but she will never again be able to play the same role in society that she once played. Everyone else, neglecting to look inside their heart at their own sin, condemns Hester for her adultery and turns their back to her.In “Young Goodman Brown,” Mr. Brown voluntarily chooses to cut himself off from “human love and companionship” (Hawthorne 75). However, while Hester’s neighbors turn their back on h...
