Symbols In The Minister's Black Veil

The mystery and curiosity that a typical old man can bring to himself with wearing a black veil that covers half his appearance. Mr. Hooper the minister with a black veil following him everywhere, has everyone wondering what he has to hide and why he began to wear it in the first place. The black veil itself brought many consequences to his life, specifically, his wife, friends, the people, and the children have a fear. "In this manner, Mr. Hooper spent a long life, irreproachable in outward act, yet shrouded in dismal suspicions; kind and loving..."(Hawthorne 14), but yet the protagonist does not remove the veil at all. Mr. Hooper keeps the veil on to demonstrate that the black veil is the item that keeps their secrets hidden. He wears the veil as a representation of not only his secret sins, but also to represent the darkness that humanity has committed. "He had changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face"(Hawthorne 2). He did make him look utterly different just by wearing a black veil, but it is to show that he is trying to redeem himself from his secret sin and not only that but also make himself carry the sins that humanity has created as well. This also proves the American Romanticism characteristics found in the story.

The Minister’s Black Veil is a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It tells the story of a minister named Parson Hooper. He shows up to church on the Sabbath with a black veil covering his eyes. The townspeople begin to spread rumors about Mr. Hooper. They assume he is wearing the black veil due to sorrow or a secret sin. Hooper tells his girlfriend that the veil is for neither of those reasons; the veil must never come off, not even for her. Hooper continues to do what he always does, such as: preach sermons, greet the children, and chat with the neighbors. The veil gets Hooper some weird looks and the people that once adored him, now avoid him. The only thing seen under the veil is a sad smile that creeps its way in.

“The Minister’s Black Veil” is arguably one of the most famous short stories in the history of American Literature. The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an extremely well known writer who is recognized for his many works. From The Scarlet Letter to The House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne’s exceptional literary skills are portrayed in each and every one of his stories. In his short story, “The Minister’s Black Veil,” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses irony, symbolism, and stereotypical Puritan beliefs and behavior to expose humanity’s hypocrisy in an effort to create change.

Many short stories convey a very strong message through the use of literary techniques. These techniques can range from the use of allegorical ideas to the use of symbolism to get across the interconnected message that is associated with the story. “The Minister’s Black Veil”, a very powerful allegory, portrays strong symbols like the mirror, pale-faced congregation, and veil that move the story along while getting the interconnected message across. These symbols in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s romantic story all represent more than one idea that relates to the theme or message of this short story, about individual sin.

In the parable "The Minister 's Black Veil,” Nathaniel Hawthorne aims to expose the deceitful pretense that members of society base their lives on. Hawthorne discloses the way people hastily judge one another based on looks, appearances, and behavior. He unveils the hypocrisy of society and the way it alienates whoever defy the norms or risk to uncover the covert. He reveals the moral of his allegory in a very ambiguous way through Reverend Hooper belief that everyone has a secret sin that he keeps to himself hidden from others, but certainly not from God. He uses The Black Veil on Reverend Hooper’s face as an emblem to provide evidence to support the notion that all humans are sinners in disguise. Reverend Hooper’s veil symbolizes the wall

Mr.Hooper wears the veil because he knows good will come out of it in the end. Mr.Hooper dedicates his whole life to this one calling. By Hooper putting on the veil he is accepting that he will never be able to participate in any joys in the world and he will have to keep an image that is appropriate with the black veil (Montbriand). He essentially gave up his whole life for this one purpose. Mr.Hooper lets his fiance hurt because she has lost the man she loves just because he will not take off the one thing that could keep them happy and together (Stouck 559+). Hooper gives up his fiance this which shows that this veil and the reason for him wearing the veil was very important to him. Mr.Hooper knows that this veil will have him sacrifice a lot and that it will be really hard on him but it will be worth it. When Denies is trying to explain this he says, “On the one hand, he is preparing for eternal happiness the “time” in which sacrifice itself will have been sacrificed when earthly weeds will fall away as so much waste”. Denies also says, “On the other hand, he knows that this preparation itself requires sacrifice, which is to say that it repetition of negativity”(179+). He is explaining how Hooper was prepared to sacrifice everything and he knew that this was the only way. Mr.Hooper 's whole life changed when he put on the veil and there was nothing that he could do about it but let

What can you expect from a minister from changing persona where people use to see him as a “gentlemanly men, of about thirty, though still a bachelor, was dressed with due clerical neatness.” Then have a change in his appearance where it drastically changes his life. By a piece of cloth over his head accounts reactions of the congregation to it, the veil, a black veil that changed the image and the reactions of the people from Westbury. It is just a man, Mr.Hooper, who Hawthorne is modulating between dramatic incidents involving the black veil and Mr.Hooper approaches dramatic reactions towards it, in the short story the “Minister’s Black Veil”. The key symbol of the short story is the black veil it represented the spiritual isolation between

The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the story of a clergyman and a black veil that scares all who see it.

American Romanticism has been around for many years now. Many authors expand their ideas to make the story more interesting. It is a form to express themselves as writers. American Romanticism contains many characteristics such as intuition, imagination, and exaggeration. The Minister’s Black Veil demonstrates all these characteristics in the story. This story has a profusion of symbols and hidden meanings that have to do with the reason why the black veil is so important. The author is competent to take a certain idea or object and expand the story or idea to make it have a greater meaning to get the reader thinking of the real reason behind it. American Romanticism is a form of creativity, imagination, intuition, exaggeration and expression. There is significant meaning behind each story that these Romantic authors write about that's why it is so interesting to read these stories.

In "The Ministers Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne "The reason that it is difficult for the congregation and even his fiancée to look upon him is that they only see the veil. "The minister is hiding his face because he is afraid that what he is hiding will show to the people of the church and his fiancée. Mr. Hooper is wearing the veil because he committed a sin; and is hiding it from the town and his church

“Thus from beneath the black veil, there rolled a cloud into the sunshine, an ambiguity of sin or sorrow, which enveloped the poor minister, so that love or sympathy could never reach him.” (Hawthorne). In the Minister’s Black Veil, Nathaniel Hawthorne evokes the idea there is a dark side of humanity and that humans have secrets and sins hidden away from their nearest and dearest. In the parable, Hawthorne emphasizes the idea of personal sacrifices must be made during one’s lifetime for those you love even if it meant giving up one’s source of happiness. In Milford, a small Puritan town men, women, and children are fancying another Sunday. The peace is interrupted on the Sabbath day when Reverend Hooper, Minister of the Puritan Community appears

“ We magnify the flaws in others that we secretly see in ourselves” -Baylor Barbee. In “ The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main character Reverend Hooper is alienated by his community because he is the wearer of a mysterious black veil. Reverend Hooper is the reverend of his community’s church and has always been well respected by his surrounding peers. One day, Hooper shows up to his church and preaches the sermon wearing a mysterious black veil causing his peers to alienate him. Throughout the story, Hooper’s actions portray just how judgmental our society really is. In the “Minister’s Black Veil”, Hawthorne displays Hooper and the symbol of the veil as a representation of how judgmental society can become when faced with situations they don’t understand even though they have no right to judge.

In the Minister’s Black Veil, the black veil has a great significance to the story. The black veil symbolizes the secret sin in society. The sins of humanity are the greatest sin which society hides and ignores. People do not take account of the bad deeds that are going on every single day. This Parable does an outstanding job of doing that because Mr. Hooper goes on with his day normally, but by having that veil on his face it exemplifies that sin is occurring. The three levels in this parable of understanding the symbolism are to first understand what the author is objectifying the most in the parable. And in this case, it is a black piece of clothing that is covering his face. When an author keeps on repeating the same thing over and over again, it has to symbolize something. Secondly, the black veil got in the way of people. Such as, his soon to be wife. Just because he didn’t show his bare face to Elizabeth, she ended their relationship. “...material emblem had separated him from happiness, though the horrors, which it shadowed forth, must be drawn darkly between the fondest of lovers.” (Hawthorne 12) Hooper is thinking about what he has done but still doesn’t do anything about it because the black veil signified something more important to him. “Each character, then, is faced with the prospect of assuming mature responsibilities, and each story is an account of how he responds to this crucial psychological situation.” (Askew 2)

He does this through the use of symbolism in “The Minister’s Black Veil.” The story is centered on the teachings of a local minister named Hooper in a small puritan town. This reverend was known for having a good reputation. He was even viewed to be self-discipline; a trait admired by his congregation. However, he begun to wear a black veil to show that his soul has been tormented. This act scared many people of his congregation and caused them to feel that their religious lives were in danger. The preacher explains in a sermon that he is doing this out of representation for the sins that we mask. Yet, the community feels that he has gone insane. Another reverend replied to Father Hooper by shouting, “Dark old man! With what horrible crime upon your soul are you now passing judgement?” (Hawthorne 638). They began to think of theories to detect what is wrong with the minister Many infer superstition. The congregational views of Reverend Hooper do not symbolize the views of the puritans. In this case, Hawthorne’s depiction of the puritans should be considered untrue and unfair.

The setting of The Minister’s Black Veil is Milford. It’s is a small town in New England with a close-knit community. This is a typical type of setting for Hawthorne, as it emphasises the beliefs of the region in that time period. The town is very religious as seen by the attendance of church where the story begins. The entrance of the story taking place at the church