Themes in Hawthorne's The Minister's Black Veil Like many writers of his time, Hawthorne emphasized man's inner reality, and those thoughts and feelings which are not immediately apparent. As he explored this internal nature, he not only found the source of dignity and virtue, but also certain elements of darkness and violence. In The Minister's Black Veil, these elements are treated as real and inescapable forces in human existence. The unifying theme is the conflict between the dark, hidden side of man and the standards imposed by his puritanical heritage, and the psychologic