Essay about The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne

In the short story, "The Minister's Black Veil," Nathaniel Hawthorne presents a similar theme to that of The Scarlet Letter through the usage of the black veil that the Reverend Mr. Hooper drapes across his face to hide his secret transgressions from the world. The veil the clergyman wears is voluntary punishment, in contrast to the scarlet letter that Hester was forced to wear, though it's consequences are similar for Reverend Hooper, as he becomes an outcast of society as well. Though everyone knows Hester's sin, no one can even find the courage to ask Father Hooper why he wears his veil. When his wife, Elizabeth, finally does ask him, he gives her no clear answer and thus the veil's meaning is ambiguous and the townspeople all have their different theories for it including sin, sorrow, and weak eyes; though most fingers pointed towards a secret sin. The ambiguity of the black veil is similar to the ambiguity of the scarlet letter. At first the letter stood for the sin of adultery

However, on the Sunday morning that “The Minister’s Black Veil” begins to unfold, Mr. Hooper lost the reverent effect upon his parish when he emerged from his home for the first time -- and for the rest of his life -- with two folds of crape

The well-known American novelist in the Dark Romantic era, Nathaniel Hawthorne, wrote and published the short story, “The Minister’s Black Veil”, in 1836. Reverend Hooper lives in the small New England town of Milford. One Sabbath morning, Reverend Hooper delivers a sermon while wearing a black veil. In the short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mr. Hooper’s relationship with his community is affected in a negative way because the veil distances him from his congregation. For instance, while giving the sermon the community was affected causing a commotion “ such was the effect of this simple piece of crape, that more than one woman of the delicate nerves was forced to leave the meetinghouse” (lines 69-70). This demonstrates

In “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mr. Hooper is hiding a sin. Others may think that he wasn’t hiding a sin, however in this essay we can come to the conclusion that Mr. Hooper did commit a sin. The reader can understand that he sinned because of the theme his sermon was about when he first had on the black veil. Also We can understand what the sin was and to whom it was committed towards.

In "The Minister's Black Veil", a gripping powerful parable by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mr. Hooper as well as the black veil, that shrouds his face, is a representitive of sin. Throughout the short story, Mr. Hooper is a kind and caring parson that provides religious services for the town. Even though poor Mr. Hooper has not visibly done anything wrong to this town, the sheer action of wearing a black veil obscures what people think of him. It is said by an old woman, towards the beginning of the story, "He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face." This quote provides insight on much of what sin does to an individual, it amplifies a wrong doing. The town disregards all of who Mr. Hooper was, "a gentlemanly person" and

Hawthorne includes three levels of parable to help understand the symbolism behind Hooper and why he wears the black veil. The first level would be considered to be that the minister is carrying or in other words covering the sins of others. Just as Jesus Christ died for our sins. The next level would be that you cannot hide your secret sins from anyone not even the all ruling, all powerful God. Lastly, the third one would be that the sin of humanity is the greatest sin which society hides and ignores. “What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies has made this piece of crepe so awful? When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friend; the lover to his best beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his in; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! On every visage a Black Veil!” (Hawthorne

Lastly, there are several themes in The Minister’s Black Veil relating to topics including sin, guilt, fear, and judgment. The first theme focuses on people’s reaction to change. Soon after Mr. Hooper covers his face, people secluded themselves from him and gave him bewildered stares even after he showed them courtesy. Likewise, his wife Elizabeth left him after she failed to persuade him to abandon the black veil. The narrator also explains how Mr. Hooper created a group of converts as well as how people at their deathbed would not take their last breath until they received consolation from Mr. Hooper. Strangers began to travel from long distances just to hear his sermons and gaze at his figure. Another theme found in The Minister’s Black Veil is that people fear what they do not know and do not understand. The mystery of the black veil perhaps was the biggest thing that intimidated the townspeople. Mr. Hooper is overcome with the same horror as the townspeople when he catches a glimpse of himself. In an attempt to solve the mystery of the black veil, the townspeople past judgment and create

TO begin with showing how sin can one loose themselves. In the story MISSING WORD TO INTROUDUCE QUOTE “Beloved and respected as your are, there may be whispers, that you hide your face under the consciousness of secret sin…”. Hawthrone set this story during the 1600s in a pruitain village, a small town in Milford, New English. In thispuritain ere, we are to understand religion is a major part to the people. Where puritains strongly believed sin must be defeated but would rather sweep it under the carpet. Quoted from the story abouve, Mr. Hooper replies to his wife who demmanded him to removed his veil

Humans consistently have presented themselves as a different creature than who they may be inside. The struggle between mans good and evil interpersonal tendencies are at constant war with each other, and with that, the seven deadly sins present themselves in a variety of ways. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil”, this idea of the constant struggle between good and evil is brought to the surface primarily through the characters of Rev. Hooper, Elizabeth, Hooper’s fiancé, Goodman Grey, Rev. Clark, and the townspeople. The story opens with the sexton tolling the bell, summoning the townspeople to the church for their weekly sermon. Astonished at the sight of Reverend Hooper’s black veil, whispers and fear sweep through the congregation. Many people believe he had gone insane, or hiding some deadly sin. The melancholy black veil intensifies his sermon making it appear more powerful, much more so than his normally mild, calm preaching style. Isolation encompasses Hooper. People avoid him; all but his fiancé. She cries and pleas for the veil to come off, but Hooper refuses, causing her to leave. There are multiple instances of a resigned smile flashing across his face, and that, too, puzzles the townspeople. Father Hooper ages, and is laying on his deathbed. Reverend Mr. Clark is standing over him, and asks to remove the veil to restore Mr. Hoopers legacy to one of a godly nature. The dying minister, with a sudden surge of energy, moves his hands from under the

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale, “The Minister’s Black Veil,” the dominanat theme is obviously one man’s alienation from society. This essay intends to explore, exemplify and develop this topic.

If any single quality dominates the fiction of Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is a consistent fascination with the idea of human sin. This is explored and expressed in a wide variety of ways by him; a novel like The Scarlet Letter treats sin as more of a failing demanding understanding, while The House of the Seven Gables is a more complex treatment of sin, guilt, and redemption.

Even in his sorrow, the sad smile again appears as he wonders how a small physical symbol could separate two who love each other” (Enotes). Although we can see how much he suffers he still cares for everyone even with an awful sin in his hands. Mr. Hooper does not want to blame anyone for anything he is just following the the bible and with his wife he wants everyone to know how he succeeds through life with even a secret or moral sin in their lives. People have to give themselves to God and he will make them feel like the have been blessed and give them hope to keep trying to make their life worth

The concept of the individual is a prominent one in Romantic literature. One of the major themes of individualism in Romanticism is the notion of characters discovering themselves through their experiences. This discovery of one’s self highlights for the reader the author’s opinions on what it means to be an ideal person. Though light and dark Romanticism differ in some small aspects on this topic, the main point is the same. This is illustrated in the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ralph Waldo Emerson, as both authors profess that a person who has realized their ideal self has grown to possess an education and is willing to sacrifice worldly pleasures for the sake of progress.

In “The Minister’s Black Veil”, Reverend Mr. Hooper imitates the walk of Jesus through his actions and sermons. We first see this when Mr. Hooper wears a black veil across his face, as a sign of the sin in his life. Mr. Hooper

Bennett and Royle in their textbook, Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory, define ideology as representing “… ‘the imaginary relationship of individuals to their real conditions of existence’” (161). The ideology of self, of personal identity, is represented by a person’s perception of what is acceptable in their society. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, The Minister’s Black Veil, the minister appears before his community with a black veil covering his face. He gives no explanation for this apparel and the community becomes agitated that their minister refuses to remove it. The readers challenge is to discover why the minister wears the veil and why he