Clothing In The Minister's Black Veil By Nathaniel Hawthorne

472 Words1 Page

In “The Minister’s Black Veil,” Nathaniel Hawthorne shows how even something as small as an article of clothing worn by an individual can have a great impact on other’s perceptions and behaviors toward that person. In the beginning of the story the townspeople first see Mr. Hooper, the minister, wearing a veil that covers his face except for his mouth and chin and they begin to wonder what he is hiding. He is treated as if he has done something wrong and the townspeople shun him and the children even run in fear when he comes near. Hooper refuses to remove the veil for anyone, even his fiancé, and he continues to wear the veil until his death and is buried with it on. I chose the option in this assignment because I have a lot of experience of being judged by others based on something that can be seen from the outside. For many years, I was a cheerleader and was subjected to judgments from fellow athletes as well as others who judged my character and intelligence based solely on this one thing they knew about me. At times, I have been called out for articles of clothing that I wear. I have also been treated poorly and called names simply because I am often quiet and shy. …show more content…

Perhaps you picture a girl who is small and athletic that is perky and always smiling and not very bright. Or perhaps you picture someone like me that is tall, thin, athletic, determine, and competitive. Cheerleaders can be leaders in areas like student council, they can be at the top of their class academic standing, or they can be shy and quiet like me. I often had to defend myself when I was cheering because people would say mean things about cheerleaders and act as if it was fine because they felt that me being a cheerleader somehow meant it was acceptable to taunt and ridicule

Open Document