Pride In The Minister's Black Veil

Everyone masks themselves with false pride while covering up who they really are. No one is truly and utterly honest with others or even themselves. Such is the case of Mr. Hopper, a pastor who Hawthorne portrays in The Minister’s Black Veil. The story follows his life as a minister who wears a black veil over his face everywhere he goes. Hawthorne uses metaphysical characterization of the black veil in Mr. Hopper’s life to prove that pride causes Christian leadership to be ineffective. Hawthorne shows that pride causes Christian leadership to become ineffective because it creates a false idea of control, it disfigures the proper image of man, it prevents genuine self-examination, it establishes a flaws perspective on the world, and the most

Christian leaders have a tremendous ability to influence others, as Bill Hybel says, “You are a person of influence. Your attitudes, behaviors, choices, words and even facial expressions make a difference in people’s everyday lives…Whether for good or for ill, your influence matters greatly in the lives of those you know.” (11). Hawthrone uses the metaphorical black veil to demonstrate when pride corrupts Christian leaders it easily spreads other. In Hawthorne’s tale, the black veil is a hungry beast which feeds on the souls of the vulnerable. At the beginning of the story, the veil seems content to feast on the soul of Mr. Hopper. His “secret sin” was enough to satisfy the veil for a time. However, the veil eventually sucked a majority of the life out of Mr. Hopper, leaving merely a shell of who he once was. Although Mr. Hopper was still physically alive at this point, he was mostly emotionally, spiritually, and mentally dead. The veil still desires more, and when it sees the vulnerability in Mrs. Hopper it multiples itself and transfers over to her. This transfer of pride is seen in Mrs. Hopper’s quote, “...Beloved and respected as you are, there may be whispers, that you hide your face under the consciousness of secret sin. For the sake of your holy office, do away this scandal” (641). The most important phrase in this quote is, “…there may be whispers” (641). Although she bookends this comment with two endearing comments, this phrase reveals an overt concern with her own reputation. It is through this vulnerability that the black veil of pride seeps