Transcendentalism is a way of living an aboriginal life by secluding yourself from society. Nathaniel Hawthorne in the essays of "The Minister's Black Veil", "The Serpent", and "Wakefield" he criticizes the ways of becoming a transcendentalist. In the essay of "The Minister's Black Veil" the main character Pastor Hooper wears a black veil and is shunned throughout his town. He becomes secluded throughout society, yet he remains in society and will continue to live in society. The black veil is a way of covering up his sins and people just view him as a crazy man who wears a black veil yet he explains how everyone has a veil as he is on his death bed. Pastor Hooper is a nonconformist and is ignored by society, but since he stays in society he is not considered a transcendentalist. From the words of Henry Thoreau to be a transcendentalist you must go to the woods and live deliberately. So since Pastor Hooper never leaves society, he is not considered a true transcendentalist. …show more content…
He then exposes their sins as you can image this is quite aggravating for most people so they get him thrown into an insane asylum. He is then secluded from society, but he never leaves society like a true transcendentalist would. Mr. Elliston is then released from the insane asylum and continues his journey of talking to people and exposing their sins. Roderick Elliston may have been secluded but because he remained a citizen within a society of people he truly never left. So a point that must get across about transcendentalism is that Thoreau believes to truly become a non conformist and follow your genuine genius you cannot be influenced by others so you must completely leave society behind and go somewhere that society has yet to affect which is why he goes to the