Thursday, December 2, 2010

Journal #26

Snow is so pretty, but I also hate it. However, I really like it when it gets me out of school because I really hate school. Snow is just so pretty and white, and I like to watch it fall. It makes everything so peaceful, except, of course, when there is a blizzard. Have you ever been caught out in a blizzard? It is really scary. Everything, literally, is totally white or grayish white, and there are only slight outlines of objects. It makes it completely impossible to drive in, and it is still really cold. But, snow usually brings about memories of sitting in my living room with my family in the lack of power, talking about some random thing or struggling to find candles to play a board game. Or, snow also makes me think of Christmases I have been to, but that makes me think of sad things, knowing that Christmas will never be the same. I love Christmas, though, because I get so much food and a few gifts, and it is the only time in the year that my whole family gets together for one common purpose. But, like I said, I will never have the same Christmas experience again. So, as I return to typing this blog late at night, I look out the window and still see snow on the ground! If it is not quite clear, I like having snow on the ground, especially when there is just enought to make a small sheet over everything, so that I am still able to see the outlines of things. When there is too much snow, all the trees just look like a blob of white mixed with the land below them, and it is not as pretty. Also, I really like looking at pictures of mountains because they usually have snow on the peak, but it is the right amount because I can still see all the crevices and outcroppings all over the side. Something about it just makes me marvel at the world and how awesome it is, kind of like the ties that bind us all. So, now that I have pretty much covered (ha get it? Covered? because snow covers everything!) everything I have to say about snow, I think I will go to bed now. Good night, internet!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

"The Minister's Black Veil"

Honestly, I find it somewhat difficult to describe this story, "The Minister's Black Veil," as part of the Dark Romanticism style of writing because it is merely a story. There is not much left up to the reader to be afraid of or be confused about, other than the obvious fact that the minister is wearing a black veil for no apparent reason. It is really only confusing that the minister has a sudden and totally radical change in thought and begins wearing this. The reader, or any of the townspeople, for that matter, does not understand the reason behind the minister's veil. The parishoners just think it must be the work of the Devil simply bwecause they do not understand the minister's thoughts. The veil was a sort of "shield" between the man of God and the rest of the mortal world, nothing more, and nothing less. I thought it was sort of ridiculous how long and drawn out the story was; much of it seemed very repetitive and just plain boring. But, still, the people of the town were certainly confused. "'He has changed himself into something awful only by hiding his face.'" (Hawthorne, 281). This is totally true; all the poor man did was put his face behind a thin piece of cloth, and the whole town reacted so violently. I suppose, psychologically, since the minister was the town's source of God, they have a good reason to be scared and confused. They are used to the minister being somewhat melancholy and somewhat indifferent, but this mask made it so they were not able to read his emotions as well because they could not see his face. Listening to his words was made much harder because they were constantly distracted by the confusion behind his black veil. Also, as I said before, they are very uncertain of the origin of the veil because it is black, and the color black is usually thought to be of the Devil. It is usually associated with death and dying, so it could be assumed by the town that the minister is dying or his faith is dying, where in reality, the minister simply wore it to show, physically, the black veil that every person wears. The townspeople just did not really think about their own black veils because they are not as prevelent as the minister's veil. He did this act to sort of trick the town into realizing their own faulties and "veils" they use to hide those downsides. Everyone, even today, puts on a mask sometimes to hide their emotions because they are trying to deal with s difficult time in life. The minister simply wanted the town to become aware or these masks. Their reactions were very justified, though, because they were afraid of the veil, since they were not quite aware of their own. It was quite different to the town. It was a wake-up call done by the minister to the town in that he knew they were all guilty of wearing these masks, but he just wanted the town to know it like he did.