Hooper's Secret Sin

of their work. Leaving a small detail in a story ambiguous has been used throughout the history of storytelling to create a unique story for every individual based on his own personality. Similarly, in “The Minister’s Black Veil” Hawthorne leaves Hooper’s motive for wearing the veil ambiguous because the physical presence of the veil is simply a subordinate characteristic. Hooper struggles throughout the

Danielle Norman Professor Karsak ENC 1102 March 19 2016 Secret Sin Hidden Behind a Black Veil “The Minister’s Black Veil”, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the story of a parish pastor in Milford, New England. For unknown reasons, Parson Hooper has taken to wearing a dark veil on his face that covers all but his lips and chin. This veil immediately causes an uproar amongst the church members. Despite the fact that Parson Hooper’s behavior is largely the same, the people are genuinely shocked. Right away

‘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. Common characteristics of American Romanticism include valuing feeling and intuition over reason, an individual against society or establishment, and an extended and hyperbolizing of the protagonist’s death. Furthermore, there is always a sense of exaggeration in American

would represent secret sin. His depiction of secret sin is to show the townspeople that nothing can be kept a secret from God. Mr. Hooper’s tactic is to use the power of fear to convince them to confess any unknown sins. Many people are quick to judge and condemn others actions without having first-hand knowledge or experience of the individual’s circumstance. In “The Ministers Black Veil”, Nathaniel Hawthorne exposes the irony of a black veil’s representation of humanity’s hidden sin by contrasting

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. Set in the New England town of Milford, the short story takes place in a Puritan society. Historically, Puritan towns were generally close-knit communities

reason for donning the black veil: “no attempts were made...to discover the secret which [the veil] was supposed to hide” (6). Hawthorne portrays society’s obsession with that which they do not know for sure or cannot understand. Hawthorne portrays the townspeople in this way to convey how people can often be involved in matters not concerning them so much so that they often pass judgements that may not be just. In Mr. Hooper’s case, the townspeople are so invested in analyzing his black veil that they

story “The Minister’s Black Veil” reflects this principle in which the author deliberately creates ambiguities to open the possibilities of interpretation. More specifically, Nathaniel Hawthorne employs commonplace symbols to present the ambiguity of sin and secrecy through a psychological lens in “The Minister’s Black Veil”. This short story also reflects the principle of Puritanism, such as the idea of manifest destiny represented by the minister Mr. Hooper. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem

sermon to the congregation. As he begins to deliver his message, it seems to have a darker side than usual. According to line 76 of the passage, “It was tinged, rather more darkly than usual, with the gentle gloom of Mr. Hooper's temperament. The subject had reference to secret sin, and those sad mysteries

Hidden Sin or Sin of A Spiritual Egotism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's “The Minister's Black Veil” there are many secrets, many dark areas, both literal and metaphorical. An intensely private man who allowed few to know him well, Nathaniel Hawthorne was fascinated by the dark secrets of human nature. One of the first American writers to explore his characters’ hidden motivations, Hawthorne broke new ground in American literature with his morally complex characters. He explored such themes as sin, hypocrisy

major role in this period of the romantic writers, such as Hawthorne. In “The Minister’s Black Veil”, Mr. Hooper hid behind a black veil and refused to remove it, even when asked by his fiancée, Elizabeth. As a result, Elizabeth walked out of Mr. Hooper’s life. “Mr. Hooper smiled to think that only a material emblem had separated him from happiness, though the horrors, which it shadowed forth, must be drawn darkly between the fondest of lovers.” The loss of Elizabeth was not the only factor that contributed