This essay compares and contrasts the sin in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories "The Birthmark," "The Minister's Black Veil," and "Young Goodman Brown."

Sin in the Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne After analyzing several of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories, it becomes apparent to the reader that he often wrote using the recurring theme of sin. Though sin is present in all of his works, there is much variation on the ways in which his characters come to understand the inherent evil that lurks inside every human being. Whether expressed in the form of selfishness, passion, or obsession, the …

…Barbara Perkins. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994. 767-777. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "The Minister's Black Veil." The American Tradition in Literature. Ed. George and Barbara Perkins. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994. 751-759. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "Young Goodman Brown." The American Tradition in Literature. Ed. George and Barbara Perkins. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994. 737-746. O'Toole, Heather. "The Blackness of Men's Souls: Why Nathaniel Hawthorne could not Embrace Transcendentalism." Bridgewater College. 4 Feb. 2003. <http://www.bridgewater.edu/philo/philo96/otoole.html>