Nathan Hawthorne often developed his short stories around a symbolism. This is clearly the case in “The Minister’s Black Veil” because Hooper’s black veil is a symbol of isolation. When he wears it in public for the first time, he feels an immediate barrier go up between him and his parishioners. Hawthorne cultivates an air of mystery around Hooper’s black veil. By refusing to give access to Hopper’s reason for wearing the veil, he allows us, the readers, to speculate about his motivation. This was fascinating to me because the black veil is clearly a symbolic device that Hawthorne had used in his story. There is a strong suggestion in the story that it also hides a secret sin or crime committed by the Reverend Mr. Hooper. The mystery fuels