Criticism And Symbolism In The Minister's Black Veil

“The Minister’s Black Veil.” The Dark Secrets
Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered by many a towering figure of American literary history. His works include children’s stories, nonfiction sketches, a presidential campaign biography of Franklin Pierce, four major novels, and essays. Isolation is a central theme in his works, perhaps because he was a solitary child of a widowed recluse. After college, he was alone again for twelve years before he married. It was during this time that he wrote “The Minister’s Black Veil.”
The Minister 's Black Veil has characteristics that are unique to the Romantic period, particularly those which are directly connected with Gothic literature. In Gothic literature there are several elements to be considered but

Hooper. In addition, other details of the story seem to link him to the death of the young maiden. He conducts her funeral on the very day he first wears the veil, and there is the speculation that the maiden’s and Mr. Hooper’s spirits are seen walking hand in hand. The effect of all this is to create, in the reader, the sense that he is being given clues to a puzzle that he can solve. That is, if he reads the story carefully, he may be able to discover exactly the nature of Mr. Hooper’s sin or crime. As a result, the reader is drawn into the story and is given reason to read the story again and again. There is no answer to the puzzle, but the technique is effective and one that Hawthorne used in other

Hooper’s remarks to Elizabeth when she attempts to discover why he has chosen to put on the veil. She assumes that he has decided to wear the veil only because of some secret sin or crime, but as part of the development of the major theme, he tells Elizabeth that his veil is additionally a “symbol.” As the story progresses, the exact meaning of the veil as a symbol becomes clear. In his interview with Elizabeth, Mr. Hooper suggests that all mortals could cover their faces just as he has because all have some secret sin or sorrow. At the end of the story, as he lies dying, Mr. Hooper says that he sees a veil on all the faces of those who are attending his deathbed. In this way, the major theme of the story is developed, that is, it is suggested that everyone wears a black veil, that everyone has a secret sin or sorrow that is hidden from all others. Everyone could, like Mr. Hooper, cover his face with a black veil. Mr. Hooper has chosen to make his black veil visible while others have kept their secrets in their own