What Does The Minister's Black Veil Symbolize

The Scarlet letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850 that follows main character, Hester Prynn, as she endures life in The Massachusetts Bay Colony with her daughter. Hester’s life in this society is mainly focussed around the actions of two characters other than her daughter Pearl. These characters are Roger Chillingworth and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. In the novel, Chillingworth was Hester’s husband when she lived in Europe and Dimmesdale is the local reverend who became the father of Pearl after a love affair with Hester. The two have contrasting roles in The Scarlet Letter but are bound together through their relationships with Hester forming the structure of the novel. With the use of symbolism, imagery, and diction, Hawthorne molds the characters of Roger Chillingworth and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale into representations of the flawed natures of the Puritan colonies in 17th century New England.

The symbol of the letter “A” in The Scarlet Letter represents Nathaniel Hawthorne’s belief that one is not always defined by their sin. Throughout the novel, Hester faces the ignominy of the other townspeople, but she never loses her pride. Even though Hester suffers from the isolation of her punishment, she still keeps her confidence and survives her punishment with grace and pride. As the novel progresses, the letter and Hester change.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, symbolsim is constantly present in the actual scarlet letter “A” as it is viewed as a symbol of sin and the gradally changes its meanign, guilt is also a mejore symbol, and Pearl’s role in this novel is symbolic as well. The Scarlet Letter includes many profound and crucial symbols. these devices of symbolism are best portayed in the novel, most noticably through the letter “A” best exemplifies the changes in the symbolic meaning throughout the novel.

In this essay, I’m going to be discussing about the story The Minister’s Black Veil. This story was very interesting, because it had mystery and was different from any other story I have ever read. This story had a symbol and a lesson to learn from it. I enjoy reading stories where there’s symbols because that means you have to look for clues making it mysterious. The Minister’s Black Veil makes the students think and engage into the story.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, “The Ministers Black Veil”, Mr. Hooper made a commitment, for the rest of his earthly life, to wear a black veil. The veil, throughout the short story, 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 society’s obliviousness with Mr. Hooper’s innocence, all while witnessing the hypocrisy of his congregation.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil” there are many unknown secrets, and because of this, there are many dark mysteries in the story, whether literally or metaphorically. These secretive aspects are not only centered around just the minister himself but on all persons in the town that attend the church. Therefore is notable that the veil is a symbol to say that the world is not perfect and it is filled with many flaws, and there sins that people withhold on the inside of them deeply.

Hester Prynne was forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her chest to show that she was unfaithful and that she committed adultery. The scarlet letter is a symbol of the sin she had committed, so that everyone can see and judge her for what she had done. Women in the town had to follow strict rules and also be very religious. Since committed this, she was rejected from this town. “ She was self-ordained a Sister of Mercy; or,

While she is up on the scaffold in front of the town for the first time, the reader can see the initial relation between Hester and the A when, “...she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her fingers, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real.” (Hawthorne 56). Hester Prynne’s connection to the scarlet letter is both negative and positive. In the beginning of the novel, the scarlet letter represents her sin and is her punishment. The scarlet letter causes the townspeople to lose their respect for her and she becomes a social outcast.

Hawthorne is a great example of a writer who helped shape the minds of readers through his fiction. As a writer he often kept to himself and “[…] for many, remains tantalizingly elusive” and “[…] a deeply private man” (Baym and Levine 603). However, his decision to keep his innermost thoughts to himself only further benefitted the American minds. “Withholding interpretation—or offering multiple and conflicting interpretations only makes readers do their own interpretive work but also shows how interpretation is often a form of self-expression” (Baym and Levine 603). “The Minister’s Black Veil” is one of Hawthorne’s works that leave the reader to evaluate themselves and how they perceive the meaning of the story and the symbolism of the veil.

Nathaniel Hawthorne writes The Scarlet Letter to exhibit the inflexibility of the Puritan community. Hawthorne embodies a strong female character: Hester Prynne who was married before has an affair with Dimmesdale, a lover, bearing a child. Hawthorne’s use of an allusion to the bible helps one understand the rigidity of the puritan community. Although both committed sin, Hester acknowledges her sin whereas Dimmesdale is apprehensive and worries about social acceptance. Hawthorne’s characterization of Hester juxtaposes the other women. As Hester is able to develop an independent role other women are more concerned with the idea of domesticity, reliability to men. Hawthorne also uses of irony also portrays the hypocrisy of the Puritan community,

Nathaniel Hawthorne used a large amount of symbolism in his award winning book “The Scarlet Letter”. The symbolism Hawthorne uses in “The Scarlet Letter” can be a bit confusing at times and the symbols can be hard to identify in certain chapters. The symbols within the book are what make it such a classic novel.

The symbol “A” in the story “Scarlet Letter” is worn by hester prynne. The symbol “A” is meant to mean shame but throughout the story it becomes a powerful symbol. Hester who wears the Symbol feels shame in the story in the community of the puritans but changes through time. In the novel, “ the scarlet letter,” written by, Nathaniel Hawthorne the symbol of the letter “A” changes from adulteress , Hester changes the meaning around for better good, angel of mercy, and the living persona of Pearl.

Society typically treats people differently if they are not like everyone else. This is a common theme in literature that helps develop the plot. One example of this is in “The Minister’s Black Veil”, a short story written and published in 1836 by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the story, Parson Hooper, the reverend of Milford, arrives at church on Sunday the Sabbath with a black veil covering his eyes and face. The townspeople immediately begin to gossip; some say he has gone mad, while others believe he is hiding a shameful sin. However, the reader discovers Mr. Hooper wears the black veil to represent something everyone has: sin and secret. This demonstrates one of the major themes of the story: everyone has secret

My paper looks at the symbol of the scarlet letter ‘A’ and the symbol of the wilderness to demonstrate that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses these symbols to shed light on his secularist critique of puritan ideology. Hawthorne’s novel is not just an examination of the puritan life, but rather a criticism of their beliefs. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne shows how the puritan society casts Hester Prynne because their conceptions and deeds and values differ from hers. Hester, as a main character, symbolizes those who challenge such set standards.

This is the first time the Scarlet Letter is mentioned in the novel. The letter A is sewn on Hester’s bosom and she’s forced to wear for the rest of her life. This symbolizes the guilt and shame, which are the themes of this book. Hester Prynne is guilty of committing adultery, therefore the society will never want to come near her, unless she confesses of her crime and gives the father’s name.