The Minister's Black Veil Essay

1182 Words3 Pages

A sin is a sin and no matter how big or small it may be, there’s is no way of changing what happened. Everybody, at some point, has committed a sin and the problem of this is that people don’t notice that they are doing it and that they are not only affecting themselves but also society around them. Also, a huge problem is that people notice too much in what others do or don't do, and not what they are doing or should be doing. In the short story, “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, we can see the way people get blinded by the physical appearance of Mr. Hooper and begin rumors trying to figure out why he wore the black veil. Throughout the story, we can see the character of Mr. Hooper along with his fiance Elizabeth and the …show more content…

Hooper was asked to take off the veil and to explain why he wore the veil, he never seemed to explain or give a decent answer. This technique in Hawthorne's writing is commonly recognized as romanticism. In the story, he utilizes the black veil as a mysterious symbol which can fit anyone's imagination and assumptions. His black veil can be recognized as the sins he has committed or the sorrows inside him that are brought upon him by his townspeople. "Each ­person ­is ­certain ­that ­the ­preacher has ­discovered his ­or ­her­ own ­“hoarded ­iniquity­ of deed ­or ­thought”­ (Becnel 1). The assumptions that he had committed a sin by deed or thought made the people believe that that was why the veil was always …show more content…

­The ­group’s mission ­is ­a­ complete ­failure. ­In ­the ­words ­of ­the narrator, ­“Never ­did­ an ­embassy ­so­ ill­ discharge­ its duties”­ (Becnel 1). We continuously see the greed of the people wanting to know what is wrong with Mr. Hooper and they don't realize that their curiosity is creating greater damage in Mr. Hooper's life. "It grieved him, to the very depth of his kind heart, to observe how the children fled from his approach, breaking up their merriest sports, while his melancholy figure was yet far off." (Hawthorne 12) Mr. Hooper's life was already filled with sorrow and sadness and what he wanted less was people's aggravation. As Mr. Hooper tried to prove his purpose while wearing the veil, he realized how people he thought he knew actually were. He then noticed that people couldn't stay quiet and gave out their opinion, not realizing what they were actually saying. Now the only ones who called for him and were okay with his presence were the sick and dying. "He became a man of awful power over souls that were in agony for sin... Dying sinners cried aloud for Mr. Hooper, and would not yield their breath till he appeared; though ever as he stooped to whisper consolation, they shuddered at the veiled face so near their own." (Hawthorne

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