Comparison of two literary works “The Black Veil of the Minister” and “The Incidents of the Life of a Slave Girl” are two stories that had the most impact on me from our assigned readings. Interestingly, both of these stories were written around the mid-1850s. The first reading focuses on our sin and the second on the issue of slavery. Sin and slavery seem to be two concerns that had once corrupted this country. Some will say that this continues. In my opinion, prejudice, discrimination and sin still exist in the United States. People are not always treated fairly, the have-nots, and those who are, the haves, tend to commit sins, as shown by their actions in what interests them best. By analyzing these pieces, I intend to provide evidence that, despite over a hundred years of age, people are still sinners and likely to be slaves. In the first work, many readers, including myself, concluded that the black veil represents sin. The protagonist, Reverend Hooper, wears the veil over his face in order to show the townspeople how revolting sin can be. The townspeople wonder why the reverend wears such clothing but never really understand his intentions. I believe this misunderstanding is symbolic of how people react to sin today. People have a hard time understanding why they sin occasionally. They sometimes also have difficulty recognizing sin even if it is theirs. These two flaws are symbolic of the reverend's veil because people have difficulty understanding it and that it represents sin. This latest work sets out what it means to be a “slave girl.” Before this work came out, no one really knew how these women were treated. The author, Harriet Ann Jacobs, pointed out that in the middle of paper... in the forefront of her mind, she would have perished. These two stories had a huge impact on my life. For starters, I am a person of color, and to some extent I can relate to what many African Americans experienced in the 1850s. Another reason these stories had an impact on me is because I have made some mistakes in my past, that is, I have sinned. I like the first story because I admire the Reverend's passion to be open about his sin. In the story, he goes so far as to “bear” the sin of all the city dwellers. In conclusion, prejudice, discrimination and sin still exist in our country. By analyzing these pieces, I hope to bring awareness to the people who are not always treated fairly, the have-nots, and those who are, the haves, tend to sin, as shown by their actions, which interests them best..