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What Is Symbolism In The Minister's Black Veil

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In the “Minister's Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main character named Mr. Hooper who wears a black veil. Hawthorne uses symbolism to represent secret sin and shows the theme is death. In the story Hooper wears a black veil which symbolizes hiding sin.
“But what if the world will not believe that it is the type of an innocent sorrow?” urged Elizabeth. “Beloved and respected as you are, there may be whispers that you hide your face under the consciousness of secret sin. For the sake of your holy office, do away this scandal!” The color rose into her cheeks as she intimated the nature of the rumors that were already abroad in the village. (Hawthorne 477)

Throughout the town citizens are spreading rumors about Mr. Hooper using the …show more content…

Hooper’s face!” “Something must surely be amiss with Mr. Hooper’s intellects,” observed her husband, the physician of the village. “But the strangest part of the affair is the effect of this vagary, even on a sober-minded man like myself. The black veil, though it covers only our pastor’s face, throws its influence over his whole person, and makes him ghostlike from head to foot. Do you not feel it so?” “Truly do I,” replied the lady; “and I would not be alone with him for the world. I wonder he is not afraid to be alone with himself!” “Men sometimes are so,” said her husband. …. “Why do you look back?” said one in the procession to his partner. “I had a fancy,” replied she, “that the minister and the maiden’s spirit were walking hand in hand.” “And so had I, at the same moment,” said the other.

The townspeople talk about Mr. Hooper and imply that he might have been with the maiden before her passing, which would mean he cheated and his plighted wife.
“Why do you tremble at me alone? cried he, turning his veiled face round the circle of pale spectators. Tremble also at each other! Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for my black veil? What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful?” (Hawthorne 482)

Hawthorne feared Mr. Hooper by the end of the story,

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It is a close knit town where everybody knows each other. As the story progresses, it is seen how people will avoid even the most loved friends and family once there is a mysterious barrier in between them. So, throughout the story, the minister’s black veil symbolizes a variety of things such as: secret sins, a barrier, and even sorrow. First off, I think that Father Hooper’s black veil symbolizes everyone’s secret sins. In the beginning of the story, church begins and Hooper appears concealed by a black veil, and everybody is mystified.

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Due to his refusal to remove the veil, Hooper risks his relationship with his fiancee, Elizabeth. He wants Elizabeth to have patience with him and not desert him during this time because it will not be for eternity but he does not want to lift the veil. As it turns out, what Elizabeth fails to recognize is that even should Hooper remove

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you know not how lonely I am, and how frightened to be alone behind my black veil. Do not leave me in this miserable obscurity forever!” The black veil caused for Mr. Hooper to lose his love. Both were really close but the black veil inferred in their relationship. However,

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Hooper negatively not only excluding him from events, but also talking about him with others as well as being afraid of him when they knew him for years. An example of the negative judgement being directed towards Mr. Hooper can be seen when Mr. Hooper’s parishioners “neglected to invite Mr. Hooper to his table” (Hawthorne 7). You can already see how Mr. Hoopers friends are excluding Mr. Hooper from events such as not inviting him to sit with them and eat. By Mr. Hoopers friends doing this, you can see how they have taken into consideration only the appearance of Mr. Hooper thinking he is hiding something dark and sinful, in which led them to excluding and being afraid of Mr. Hooper. Another example of appearance defining who you are can also be seen in the parable,“The black veil, though it covers only our pastor's face, throws its influence over his whole person, and makes him ghostlike from head to foot” (Hawthorne 7).

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