Essay on Ambiguity of The Minister’s Black Veil

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil" embodies the hidden sins that we all hide and that in turn distance us from the ones we love most. Reverend Hooper dons a black veil throughout this story, and never takes it off. He has discerned in everyone a dark, hidden self of secret sin. In wearing the veil Hooper dramatizes the isolation that each person experiences when they are chained down by their own sinful deeds. He has realizes that symbolically everyone can be found in the shadow of their own dark veil. Hooper in wearing this shroud across his face is only amplifying the dark side of people and the truth of human existence and nature.

In “ The Minister's Black Veil”, Hawthorne uses plain descriptions that don't confuse readers, which helped explain his meaning of his story shown. “The Minister’s Black Veil” had a strong meaning showing that everyone has a sin that they don't want anyone to know about it. This meant everyone was a sinner and nobody was really a good man. Hawthorne was trying to tell the people that God could see the sins of everyone as he says here “loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; 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!"” (4) , so he wanted Christians to be more orthodox and become more pure to prevent these secret sins.

The Mythological Approach to Hawthorn’s “Minister’s Black Veil” Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of nineteenth century America’s most prominent and compelling authors, wrote luminous works that encompassed thematic variety. One of the most prominent methodologies to communicate thematic elements to readers is through archetypal framework, specifically, archetypal framework concerning individuals, what their dress, their profession, and the landscape’s condition in the character’s general area. Incidentally, Hawthorn thoroughly utilizes these archetypes, among others in his stories. Concerning “The Minister’s Black Veil”, the story’s archetypes that accompany it, such as the veil (Shadow), as well as his career as a minister (Wise Old Man), his personality

In The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author seeks to convey that although all individuals are sinners, members of society will condemn those who seek to confront their own faults. This conclusion was drawn from the many motifs which relate to Puritan society, particularly the superstitions and Christian ideologies of many New Englanders during the 18th century. In this tale, Mr. Hooper’s donning of the black veil is viewed as a change which alters his countenance indefinitely; from the moment it is introduced, those who view it are awestruck. The mere sight of Mr. Hooper even acts as a “signal for the bell to cease its summons”. As murmurs spread throughout the congregation, Mr. Hooper preaches of “secret sin, and those

Author Nathaniel Hawthorne fabricates a new image of the life lived by Christian Protestant during 1836 Puritanism. The story “The Minister’s Black Veil” takes place in a small Puritan community where sin is greatly looked down upon and the only way into eternal life in heaven is to do onto others good deeds. At the beginning of the story everyone turns their heads to look as Reverend Hooper walks up to his pulpit wearing all but one item to be thought as normal. Everyone living in America today can relate to how it feels to be different than the greater society. Looking back at Puritan communities it was even worse and very consequential to be out of the ordinary. Corresponding with discrimination of divergence and belief in society today, the marvellous black veil cloaked upon Reverend Hooper’s disturbed face stands as a mirror, as it resembles a looking glass reflecting on those who have sinned themselves but are incapable of seeing it. “Such was the effect of this simple piece of crape, that more than one woman of

‘The Minister's Black Veil’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an American Romantic story published in 1832. Themes such as secret sin, and in short, everyone has a somewhat erroneous character are conferred in The Minister's Black Veil.

I believe Hawthorne's main characters in "The Birth Mark" and "The Minister's Black Veil" are perfect examples of moral ambiguity. Both of these stories show Hawthorne's dark and Gothic writing style with a tone of impending depression. Ironically, however, both of the main characters in "The Birth Mark" and "The Minister's Black Veil" try to do good, but effect the story in a negative connotation. In "The Minister's Black Veil" Hawthorne uses Mr. Hooper's veil to show his view of pride and how it is a necessary evil in the world. Though the garment was a physical feature, it showed how Mr. Hooper was trying to hide a sin of his, which in return made the congregation around him uncomfortable and paranoid as to why he was wearing it. "Yet

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil," Mr. Hooper, a Reverend in the town of Milford, surprises his parishioners by donning a conspicuous black veil one Sunday. The town is visibly spooked, yet still curious, about his eerie appearance and profoundly affected by his sermon on secret sin. "A subtle power was breathed into his words. Each member of the congregation, the most innocent girl, and the man of hardened breast, felt as if the preacher had crept upon them, behind his awful veil, and discovered their hoarded iniquity of deed or thought" (2432). The parishioner's expect that Hooper will only don the veil for one day and then remove it, having used the visage to make his point on secret sin, but they are taken aback to

   Based on the evaluations of literary critics, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “The Minister’s Black Veil,” contains both an external and an internal conflict, about equally treated in the tale. It is the intent of this essay to explore both types of conflict as presented in the story.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil” mystery plays a huge role when it comes to plot, and character development. At the end of this story the minister who is wearing the veil rhetorically asks, “What but the mystery which it obscurely typifies has made this piece of crape so awful?” (Hawthorne 1044). Hawthorne has built up this character so carefully and intensely to this point, to quite directly state that this veil on his face represents mystery. The minister also begs the question of, what else does it represent? Asking his congregation, who also persecuted him, to look deep in themselves and figure out the real reason for his apparel. The minister blatantly reveals that his veil typifies mystery in a sense where his congregation cannot keep themselves together, unless they know the absolute truth. Hawthorne uses this veil as a direct representation of mystery and self control, but he also uses it as a symbol of a divine controller, tying in spirituality and religion.

The next piece of Hawthorne’s works that is important to analyze to understand his feelings toward Christianity in America is the story called The Minister’s Black Veil. This work is interesting to study Hawthorne’s thoughts on Christianity because it focuses on both negative and positive aspects of Christianity in America. In this piece a parson in a Puritan community suspiciously emerges from his home one morning adorning a black veil. The community is both curious and frightened by the dark piece of clothing seen on the preacher’s head. Hawthorne writes that the Parson Hooper was a good preacher but with the adornment of the veil, his audience became overwhelmed by the words he was preaching. Hawthorne states, “But there was something,

Hawthorne’s writing style in the “Ministers Black Veil” reveals his view on humans nature through symbolism of the black veil. Reverend clark and other men encircle the minister and question why he must never take off the vail. Right before the ministers death he gets aburst of energy and proclaims, “When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friend…, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; 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 882). Everyone has secrets that they do not want to tell even their closest companions because they feel guilty and ashamed. The minister tells the clergyman that everyone wears a black veil over their face. Hawthorne writes this intending for the veil to be a symbol of man’s secret sin therefore showing that his outlook on humanity is that people are secretly sinful.

The color black has a huge meaning in Minister’s Black Veil. It is a symbol of sin and regret. Black usually represents dark times in your life or mistakes you have made. This black veil is a symbol of secret sin and how bad the human race can be. Hawthorne uses a black veil to show that everyone in the Puritan Society has sinned at some point, even the minister. The puritans claim to be pure, however, in Hawthorne’s story he shows that we have all made mistakes that we will have to live with forever. You always have to live with your mistakes and sins even if you are the only one who knows about them.

“The Minister’s Black Veil” was first published in 1832 and was written during the American Romantic time period. Romanticism was a time period where emotion and beliefs were valued over reason and facts. Nathaniel Hawthorne can be seen as a writer of “Dark Romanticism,” a sub genre of Romanticism with a fascination with horrific themes and the exploration of the psychological effects of sin and guilt, and where the writers focused on judgement, punishment, and self-destruction. Hawthorne’s use of this style of writing sets the tone of the work as a observation of the nature of sin.

Nathaniel Hawthorne conveys his purpose through his short story to criticize how society is quick when judging others, while failing to notice their own mistakes. He shows that everyone has a secret sin or dark side to them, but it is hidden behind a metaphorical veil as a sense of self-protection. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s message is supported through the usage of characterization. Towards the beginning of this short story, Mr. Hooper is widely known and seen as humble, modest and a just minister within his society; but this image of his changes when he decides to make his secret sin known by wearing a black veil in a symbolic manner. Mr. Hooper’s reputation is transformed, he is now being harshly judged due to his action.