What does the Black Veil symbolize? In the Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Minister’s Black Veil”, Hawthorne uses a black a veil as a symbol in the story in order to represent something much greater. In the short story, Mr. Hooper gets judged by his close peers for wearing a black veil upon his face, however they fail to realize that Mr. Hooper has a reason behind him wearing this upon his face. The black veil symbolizes some type of object used which hides one’s true persona. Mr. Hooper asks his auditory "Why do you tremble at me alone?... Tremble also at each other!” In this quote, Hawthorne let’s the reader know that we should all fear each other, regardless if we have something that is physically covering our face or not. A veil lies upon everyone’s face which hides people’s true persona which they all don’t show at first but later in time reveal what is hidden underneath. Everyone at the church had negative feedback towards Mr. Hooper’s black veil, many asked why he did it while others wondered if he was hiding something. Mr. Hooper refused to remove his veil even after his fiance had asked him why he wore it and if he could remove it, this proves that Mr. Hoopers character was a strong believer …show more content…
Hooper is considered to be a romantic character because he is strictly focused on emotional truth rather than logic which is based on facts, etc. and he was not afraid to be judged regardless of who it was, This can be seen in the story when Mr. Hooper’s fiance Elizabeth asks him to remove his veil however, Mr. Hooper stands up for his belief and refuses to remove the veil even though Elizabeth had said her farewell and was now leaving. This part of the story really demonstrates how Mr. Hooper is a romantic character because he is a strong believer. When you are a romantic character just as Mr. Hooper, you find a true meaning in whatever you support and you feel as if it is your job to protect your beliefs at all costs no matter what the circumstances may
Hooper who wears a black veil for no apparent reason and never takes it off even on his death. In this short story, Hawthorne carefully crafted and utilized multiple literary devices to represent judgmental and fearful aspects of human nature. For example, in the text, it states, “Why do you tremble at me alone?” Cried he, turned his veiled face round the circle of pale spectators. “Tremble also at each other!” The congregation increasingly grows uncomfortable and are afraid of Mr. Hooper because they start to become aware of their own sin. A similar example of this is demonstrated by the end of the story, “I look around me and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!” The writer forms the story in allegorical format as the underlying theme seems to be guilt and revealed sin. The symbol of the black veil is a physical representation of the townspeople’s sins as well as the revealing of the hidden guilt. Furthermore, the black veil is a manifestation of Man’s secret sin and how terrible human nature can be; the author’s tone suggests that people like to keep the status quo as they afraid to change and face their
The story, "The Minister's Black Veil," by Nathaniel Hawthorn is a historical fiction short story. One day in the story, the town's minister, Parson Hooper, walks into church with a black veil covering an immense amount of his face save for his mouth and chin. For years he refuses to take it off, even after he is on his deathbed, no matter the countless number of people he loses from his life because they think the veil may be demonic. The black veil in the story may symbolize guilt as he may have done something awful and can't bear to show his face.
Some American Romanticism characteristics typical in this story is Mr Hooper and how he represents the black veil he is wearing. The Black veil he is wearing represents the hidden sins behind him but also shows that all God’s creatures have some of the same hidden sins. Some of the American Romanticism characteristics concentrate on feeling, imagination, God, innocence and inspiration. The black veil he is wearing makes the people in the story angry and curious to why he is wearing the black veil and that is what makes the story interesting to some people. People also can use their imagination to why they think he is wearing the black veil and to find out the main reason at the end of the story
Upon learning that this writing assignment could be about any of the numerous works contained in either Norton Volume A or Volume B, I had little doubt which author I would choose. No other stories I have read this semester have appealed to me as much as those written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Many of his works seem to have a deep meaning that the reader has to dig up and discover for himself as he reads along. This challenge presented by Hawthorne is one I enjoy taking on.
In “The Minister’s Black Veil” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a minister, named Mr. Hooper, goes through a physical and mental issues with himself and others. He had many scenarios where people are either uncomfortable or concern towards him. Not only because simply him as a person but because of what he constantly keeps with him, his black veil. With his ongoing life and his black veil, many people believed he has a sin but others oppose and claims he doesn’t. Mr. Hooper obviously has a sin because of what his black veil symbolized and his behavior and mentality.
When the minister enters with his veil, the congregation and people of the town cannot hide their shock and many of them feel afraid, even though his amiable behavior is the same as it had been before donning the veil. After the service, everyone stares at him and rumors begin to take wing, especially since his sermon had to do largely with the concept of “secret sin”. No one can grasp the reason behind the minister’s black veil and they are even more disturbed by the fact that he does not seem to be acting out of the ordinary at all. For the reader, it is never clearly explained why Hooper decided to wear the black veil. Even when other characters in the story, including Hooper's fiancée, inquire as to the reason he wears the veil, Hooper
“The Minister’s Black Veil” is about a Minister who wears a black veil during a sermon. The veil covers almost all of his face and this disturbs all of the people in the church. All of the people begin to think that he has gone insane, much to their surprise, by the end of the sermon the people felt inspired. Throughout the same day Reverend Hooper, had a sermon for a funeral and a wedding, no one thought much of it during the funeral, in fact, most people thought it was appropriate for him to be wearing a black veil, on the other hand, during the wedding, people began to talk again, the townspeople began of accusing him of committing a crime or grave sin and hiding his face was how he was dealing with it. Still no one dared to ask him why he wore the veil.
In the readings the the veil and mask both symbolize how people treat you when you’re different. In “The Minister’s Black Veil” it shows that the pastor wearing the veil that the people treat him in a rude even disrespectful way, and in the “We Wear the Mask” it also shows the disrespect given to people who are different. In these readings it shows that it’s easier to hide your emotions then share what’s really wrong. They both symbolize wrongs with the people not wanting to hear the full story before judging you, or even judging you at all. They both show a form of rejection for things that they feel necessary or can’t change.
The Story The Minister 's Black Veil is very interesting in many different ways, it catches the reader 's attention. It uses American Romanticism, that is an interesting thing to use in a story to catch the reader 's attention. What that is, is to elevate the imagination over reason. today Edgar Allen Poe remains popular for his hunting poems and suspenseful stories. American Romantic writers differ than the European romanticism writers. Declaration of Independence used a lot of American romanticism. The Declaration Of Independence is a very historical and important document. There were many great American Romanticism writers that wrote lots of stories to the public about themselves or about others. Washington Loving, Edgar Allen Poe which
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
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.
The short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne follows the minister Mr. Hooper whose simple change in appearance alters the very nature of his existence in society till his death. While his decision to begin to wear a black veil over his face ostracizes him from society, it also turns him into a more influential clergyman. With the symbolism of the black veil and in a somber tone, Hawthorne makes a statement on the involvement of society in personal matters and the “black veil” that is present over the heart of every man, making the point that everyone is guilty of being sinful.
The main character of “Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a thirty-years-old parson Hooper who is wearing a black veil on his face. It does not seem much fun but more like it is strange and revolting to people in the story that parson Hooper is having a veil on the face. Why would the parson wear a veil?
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.
In reality the veil represents the secrets everyone is hiding within themselves. The unifying theme is the conflict between the dark, hidden side of man and the standards imposed by his puritanical heritage. Hawthorne brings evil and unauthorized desire into the way of puritan life, and in so doing suggests a insightful truth that is disturbing in its implication, that is to say that we can never hope to know each other's true selves. The themes in the story are suggested by the veil-symbol, the tension between the minister and the community. Every person has something to hide from the world. The veil is symbolic for the cover up of peoples secrets. Although most people would not wear a veil, the minister is proving a point. By wearing a simple black veil Mr. Hooper is making all the villagers evaluate their everyday actions in life. The symbolic value of the black veil lies in the physical and mental dilemma that it creates between the minister and his environment, and the guilt it conveys. Many people believe that the face provides information about a person's primary characteristics, therefore, predicting a persons possible behavior. As a result, by