In his various works, Nathaniel Hawthorne addresses the dominant religious themes in colonial Puritan society. For example, Hawthorne's parable of Beloved Mr. Hooper, The Minister's Black Veil, takes on a black veil, a mysterious change that the Puritans believed "could only portend evil" (Hawthorne 630). As a result, the Puritans isolated 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 heart of his art. The female protagonist, Hester Prynne, bears the societal burden of adultery as she bears the scarlet letter “A”. As a result of her suffering and struggle to find her place in society, Hester Prynne eventually achieves redemption. However, Hester's crime changes the lives of two other people: Minister Dimmesdale and Doctor Chillingworth, both of whom seek salvation, and by the end of the novel all three redeem themselves. However, the three would not have redeemed themselves 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 portrays Hester Prynne as the Christian model 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 one could say...... middle of paper ...... this literary art to offer 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 The Scarlet Letter and The Ministry's Black Veil, Hawthorne explores isolation from society and connection to society through original sin through the whims of religious characters, such as Dimmesdale and Minister Mr. Hooper. Through this paradox and those in his novel, Hawthorne reveals that life and human nature are paradoxes, because a person must struggle and deal with disappointment before they can truly find success and happiness. Furthermore, a person can only redeem himself by understanding the consequences of sin through experience, and through these contradictions in his art, Hawthorne inspires his readers to find clarity in confusion..