In his various works, Nathaniel Hawthorne addresses the dominant religious themes in Puritan colonial society. For example, the beloved Mr. Hooper from Hawthorne's parable The Minister's Black Veil wears a black veil, a mysterious change that the Puritans believed "could portend nothing but evil" (Hawthorne 630). As a result, the Puritans isolate their minister. Although the parable shows the Puritans' harsh and superstitious reaction to the minister's whims, the veil itself symbolizes both the minister's isolation from society and his connection to society through original sin. This veil and other symbols in Hawthorne's works illustrate the universal truth that "all art is paradox." Hawthorne addresses this notion in his novel The Scarlet Letter by placing contradictions at the center of his art. The female protagonist, Hester Prynne, carries the social burden of adultery while wearing the scarlet letter "A". Because of her suffering and struggle to find her place in society, Hester Prynne ultimately receives redemption. However, Hester's crime alters the lives of two others: the minister Dimmesdale and the doctor Chillingworth, who both seek salvation and, at the end of the novel, all three are redeemed. However, the three would not have been redeemed if they had not sinned. Through the contradictions of the true Christian model and the personalities of his characters, Hawthorne reveals that redemption is still possible even after a fall. Nathaniel Hawthorne paradoxically describes Hester Prynne as the model Christian even though she is considered immoral. In Christian theology, Jesus is the physical representation of God and exemplifies the characteristics necessary to achieve salvation, so the way one might say... middle of paper... this literary art offers hope to the reader that redemption can be achieved after sin, and he effectively conveys this message through the contradictions of the Christian model and the personalities of his characters. In both The Scarlet Letter and The Minister's Black Veil, Hawthorne explores the isolation from society and connection to society due to original sin through the whims of religious characters, such as Dimmesdale and the minister Mr. Hooper. Through this paradox and those contained in his novel, Hawthorne reveals that life and human nature are paradoxes, as a person must struggle and face disappointment before he can truly find success and happiness. Furthermore, a person can only redeem themselves by understanding the consequences of sin through experience, and through these contradictions in his art, Hawthorne inspires his readers to find clarity in the confusion..