Dark Romanticism and Hawthorne

In Hawthorne’s short story “The Minister’s Black Veil: A parable”, there are several instances in the text were we can see “Dark Romanticism”. One instance in particular is on page 879, Hawthorne writes, “there rolled a cloud into the sunshine”. The context of which this is written is to emphasize what the veil is doing. It is causing sorrow for the minister and it provokes fear and curiosity in everyone who looks at it. Hawthorne uses Dark Romanticism in his text to emphasize the horror he tries to cause for the reader. He uses to dark and dreary aspects of nature in order to help him do this.

Another instance where Hawthorne uses Dark Romanticism in his text is a few lines down. He writes, “Even the lawless wind, it was believed, respected his dreadful secret, and never blew aside the veil” (879). Saying that the wind is lawless provides the reader with an image of something wild. We can picture leaves blowing around and trees swaying under the invisible power of the wind. He uses this line to describe just how consistent the minister is in never betraying his secret of why he can never unveil his face. Hawthorne uses Dark Romanticism again in order to emphasize the point he is trying to make. Even the power of nature, the lawless wind, cannot break the minister and reveal his secret.

Another instance that can be found in the text is when he writes, “As years wore on, shedding their snows above his sable veil…” (880). Hawthorne is using Dark Romanticism and the use of nature and the dark aspects of it to enhance his parable. All through the story the author causes the reader to be anxious. The reader expects something drastic to happen and by speaking of the negative aspects of nature it enhances the anticipation for the reader.