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Symbols In The Minister's Black Veil

Decent Essays

The major theme of “The Minister’s Black Veil” is revealed in the Reverend Mr. 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.” When said in Source 2 “As the story progresses, the exact meaning of the veil as a symbol becomes clear. In his interview with Elizabeth, the Reverend Mr. Hooper suggests that all mortals could cover their faces just as he has because all have some secret sin or sorrow.” This means that the black veil may have something to do with secret sins, in how even though it may …show more content…

Web. 17 Nov. 2015

Some middle school teachers believe that the symbol is that he hides behinds behind his sins and that he has sinned more than once, he believes by hiding behind a black veil people can see that he has done wrong. One also could theorize that Mr. Hooper committed an act of adultery. That was the biggest type of sin for a man like that. By wearing his black veil it shows a sign that he knows he did wrong and he shows the community that he has sinned but he won’t admit what he’s done. I’ve learned that when hiding behind a black veil Mr. Hooper shows that he has sinned and he tries to show that everyone has sins, everyone keeps some of their sins to themselves and people choose to keep them to themselves. As Mr. Hooper calls it “secret sin” he tries to teach people how even though you may think nobody knows, you know. It being that nobody will know, doesn’t make it …show more content…

well, romanticism is when an author or a writer shows emotion in a short story and also proves some kind of point to the reader. They try to teach the reader some type of moral in the story. In the story “The Minister’s Black Veil”, by Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar tries to show that beneath the black veil he has sinned, by wearing the black veil he shows everyone how we all look because we all have secret sin even if we don't all wear black veils on our faces. Mr. Hooper has left us without really telling us what he has done but he left us with the impression that he has committed adultery. He feels ashamed and later on he dies without confessing about what he’s done. Mr. Hooper also fits all the characteristics of a romantic character. He is not afraid to admit that he has sinned and he actually tells people what he’s done, by wearing the black veil. We also know that he has sinned but a characteristic of a romantic character is that we don’t know everything about him and their are still some things we don’t know about him that could really change our perspective on him. As source 4

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