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Minister's Black Veil Thesis

808 Words4 Pages

Austin Scott
Mrs. Spampinato
English III – Period 8
8 December 2014
The Power of a Black Veil
Mr. Hooper enters the church wearing a black veil covering his face. The town’s people are unsure and freaked out by Mr. Hooper. He’s trying to hide something within himself and only himself. While wearing the veil he keeps to himself most of the time and avoids contact with others. He must keep the veil on otherwise it will lose its significance. In “The Minister’s Black Veil,” Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses that the black veil is a symbol of shame.
As the story begins, Hawthorne uses irony to describe why the black veil is important to convey the message the author is trying to send. For example, The author states, “when man does not vainly shrink from eye of his creator, them deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die!” (Hawthorne 481). He is keeping the veil on him because taking off the veil off would be worse. He feels keeping the sin inside him will serve him better. In addition, the author explains, “no attempts were made to remove Mr. Hooper’s black …show more content…

“is it fitting that a father in the church should leave a shadow on his memory that may seem to blacken a life so pure?” (Hawthorne 480). He wants to die with the veil on him. God should be the only one that gets to judge Mr. Hooper; no one else should be able to judge him. “And good Mr. Hooper’s face is dust; but awful is still the thought” (Hawthorne 481). Mr. Hooper has died with the over his face as he wished. His time on earth has been spent with the veil. “He cannot lift the veil himself. Only God can do that at the final judgment when he reveals to Hooper where his soul will spend eternity” (Montbriand 1). God decides the fate of your soul, not humans. That’s the way Mr. Hooper wants it to be. The image of Mr. Hooper lying of his deathbed with the black veil over his face symbolizes his time on earth where sin is

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