Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, founders of the Transcendentalist movement, have been subjected to criticism on account of their beliefs and view of the natural wonders of the soul of the human. Not everyone sees their tenets on life in the same way they do, for example; Nathaniel Hawthorne associated as making more of an effort to discover more meaning behind the shadows of life that he so often perceived. Transcendentalism holds that every individual can reach ultimate truths through reason, logic, and personal experience. The basic tenet include, in every aspect of Nature, God is present, even in every human being. Everyone is capable of learning about God through intuition. In all its manifestations, Nature is symbolic of the spirit. And the last tenet which is, the world is good, and evil is nonexistent. While Hawthorne rejected much of this ideology, appealing to it being over the top optimistic, but it seemed, as can be portrayed in his literary work, saw the world through a very different lens. Where Emerson envisioned limitless potential and a growing confidence in humanity, Hawthorne saw doubt, mistakes, sin, and the darker side of human nature. The central ideas of anti-transcendentalism however, can be seen in this story through the idea of human sin and guilt that impacts all characters in the story.
In Hawthorne’s dark tale, “The Black Veil” he uses many pessimistic symbols voting towards more of an “anti-transcendentalist” view. The ministers black veil upon hi face, “separated him from cheerful brotherhood and woman’s love.” This quote reveals, one of the major themes of “The Minister’s Black Veil” is that those who acknowledge the secrets of their hearts and those who choose to stand apart from their fellows will often find that they may lead lives of loneliness, prisoners in their own hearts, mind, and soul. This is the opposite of the transcendentalism tenet of unconformity in society.
Anti-transcendentalism, was perceived in this story as very pessimistic philosophical view of literature that in contrast to the views of transcendentalists like Emerson, who were very optimistic about human nature. It reflects the allusion about humans and the way that, are flawed by sin. Mr. Hooper says before dying when they attempt to remove his veil at the end of the story to reveal his hidden inner thoughts and feelings: "When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friend; the lover to his best-beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die!" For Reverend Hooper, at least, the veil he wears is the same veil that everyone else wears in order to keep their innermost thoughts, feelings, and sins hidden from others. This is the opposite of an transcendentalist ideal that you should have self-reliance. Instead, He symbolized the Anti-Transcendental ideas of life's truths beings disturbing. "The subject had bad reference to secret sin, and these sad mysteries which we hide from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal from our consciousness, even forgetting that the omniscient can detect them". This quote from this story, is an example of the Anti-Transcendental idea that we all have sins which we hide, and it is hypocritical to hide those sins, because God can still see them. It can be noticed that Hawthorne continues to show the fear of human sin and also the sin of the Earth and nature. "At that instant, catching a glimpse of his figure in the looking glass, the black veil involved his own spirit in the horror with which overwhelmed all others. His frame shuddered, his lips grew white, he spilled the untasted wine upon the carpet and rushed forth into the darkness. For the Earth, too, had on her Black Veil." This quote represents how Nature, as believed by the Anti-Transcendentalists, was a symbol of everything unexplainable, and naturally created by God and since nobody in the village knew what the black veil was for, Mr. Hooper running into nature's darkness is symbolic of this Anti-Transcendental idea. The veil seems to represent either a portal into the world of the dead, or rather it represents death because a female may wear a black veil to a funeral. “I had a fancy,” replied she, “that the minister and the maiden’s spirit were walking hand in hand.” This quote symbolizes the death that surrounds the minister and it almost over powers him to the point that he is no longer himself and manifests another one of his hidden identities (hence why he discloses his face). We cant hide from the bad things forever. The message behind the entire idea that the people are scared to accept their sins is that sometimes it is best if you face your problems and deal with them right away and it will make the rest of your life a whole lot easier if you confess to your wrong doings. Everyone has a secret sin in one way or another and so no one has to feel like they are alone because everyone one else has joined them with having a secret sin.
In Hawthorne’s dark tale, “The Black Veil” he uses many pessimistic symbols voting towards more of an “anti-transcendentalist” view. The ministers black veil upon hi face, “separated him from cheerful brotherhood and woman’s love.” This quote reveals, one of the major themes of “The Minister’s Black Veil” is that those who acknowledge the secrets of their hearts and those who choose to stand apart from their fellows will often find that they may lead lives of loneliness, prisoners in their own hearts, mind, and soul. This is the opposite of the transcendentalism tenet of unconformity in society.
Anti-transcendentalism, was perceived in this story as very pessimistic philosophical view of literature that in contrast to the views of transcendentalists like Emerson, who were very optimistic about human nature. It reflects the allusion about humans and the way that, are flawed by sin. Mr. Hooper says before dying when they attempt to remove his veil at the end of the story to reveal his hidden inner thoughts and feelings: "When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friend; the lover to his best-beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die!" For Reverend Hooper, at least, the veil he wears is the same veil that everyone else wears in order to keep their innermost thoughts, feelings, and sins hidden from others. This is the opposite of an transcendentalist ideal that you should have self-reliance. Instead, He symbolized the Anti-Transcendental ideas of life's truths beings disturbing. "The subject had bad reference to secret sin, and these sad mysteries which we hide from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal from our consciousness, even forgetting that the omniscient can detect them". This quote from this story, is an example of the Anti-Transcendental idea that we all have sins which we hide, and it is hypocritical to hide those sins, because God can still see them. It can be noticed that Hawthorne continues to show the fear of human sin and also the sin of the Earth and nature. "At that instant, catching a glimpse of his figure in the looking glass, the black veil involved his own spirit in the horror with which overwhelmed all others. His frame shuddered, his lips grew white, he spilled the untasted wine upon the carpet and rushed forth into the darkness. For the Earth, too, had on her Black Veil." This quote represents how Nature, as believed by the Anti-Transcendentalists, was a symbol of everything unexplainable, and naturally created by God and since nobody in the village knew what the black veil was for, Mr. Hooper running into nature's darkness is symbolic of this Anti-Transcendental idea. The veil seems to represent either a portal into the world of the dead, or rather it represents death because a female may wear a black veil to a funeral. “I had a fancy,” replied she, “that the minister and the maiden’s spirit were walking hand in hand.” This quote symbolizes the death that surrounds the minister and it almost over powers him to the point that he is no longer himself and manifests another one of his hidden identities (hence why he discloses his face). We cant hide from the bad things forever. The message behind the entire idea that the people are scared to accept their sins is that sometimes it is best if you face your problems and deal with them right away and it will make the rest of your life a whole lot easier if you confess to your wrong doings. Everyone has a secret sin in one way or another and so no one has to feel like they are alone because everyone one else has joined them with having a secret sin.