Book Report On The Minister's Black Veil

The Minister’s Black Veil The Minister’s Black Veil is a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It tells the story of a minister named Parson Hooper. He shows up to church on the Sabbath with a black veil covering his eyes. The townspeople begin to spread rumors about Mr. Hooper. They assume he is wearing the black veil due to sorrow or a secret sin. Hooper tells his girlfriend that the veil is for neither of those reasons; the veil must never come off, not even for her. Hooper continues to do what he always does, such as: preach sermons, greet the children, and chat with the neighbors. The veil gets Hooper some weird looks and the people that once adored him, now avoid him. The only thing seen under the veil is a sad smile that creeps its way in. Hooper attends a

It cost him his friends, girlfriend, and his reputation among the townspeople. He wouldn’t have lost so much if he just took off the veil. On his deathbed he called the townspeople hypocrites because they all wear “black veils” and shield their eyes from God when they confide in others. Maybe that’s why Hooper wore the veil. It was a symbol; it symbolized a mirror. Everyone in the town had a sin and they probably confessed that sin to Hooper. Hooper wore the veil to make the townspeople more aware of their own sins. The more aware they became of their sins, the more uncomfortable they became. Being around the minister and seeing his black veil, even during happy times, made them upset. In a way, the townspeople were right about the black veil being because of secret sin. It was a symbol of their secret sins and how terrible they can be. It was a symbol of the sin people carried in their hearts. The symbolism of the black veil probably has many different interpretations, but nonetheless it still traces back to someone’s secret sins; whether it is the sins of the townspeople or of Hooper,