In the short story The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mr. Hooper, the town parson, begins wearing a black veil that obscures his face. The town begins gossiping that he might be hiding a secret sin. Hawthorne uses Nathaniel Hawthorne was an outstanding writer who wrote very intricate and frightening stories. The inspiration for these dark and depressing tales came from his tragic childhood. When Hawthorne was four years old his father died. Later on, his grandmother, whom he had grown close to after his father’s death, died as well. These events, combined with Hawthorne injuring his leg, led to prolonged periods of time alone that helped cultivate a growing love of reading. In college Hawthorne created lifelong friendships