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Geetanshu Madan
Tracie Hernandez
English 1302
July 19, 2014
Literary Analysis of The Ministers Black Veil
The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne was an early American Writer. His writings
were outdated compared to the modern literature. Even then, his writing style with symbolism
and allegory conveyed themes like psychology and human nature very effectively. The story,
The Ministers Black Veil can be considered as one of his best. It has a very prominent use of
symbolism which reflects his style of writing. The story revolves around Mr. Hooper and his life
after he puts a black veil on his face. The veil earlier perceived to be a barrier he creates between
him and people to punish himself. The story proceeds to show how the veil on his face becomes
a reflection for other people. The author uses wedding to symbolize life, and funeral to show
death, trying to show how a man will not live without his fear any day any moment. The story
continuously talks about the veil and cause of the veil. Despite that, the story ends without any
mention of the reason. The author chose to keep the readers in the dark. The readers are pressed
to give importance to the cause of the veil. The author has used symbolism in many ways to
deviate from the cause and think, what the veil represents
The author opens the story on a regular Sunday morning. Except one thing, the minister,
Mr. Hooper walks in with a black veil that covers his eyes. He walks in like everything is
normal, leaving people perplexed in their minds. The minister is soon believed to be a sinner,
and his veil is his penance for his darkest sin. Mr. Hooper disregarding the strange reactions and
the gossips around him, delivers a sermon. The atmosphere fills with sadness and sorrow because
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of his veil. Later Mr. Hooper attends a wedding and funeral, with that veil on him. His veil
symbolizing darkness which spreads over other people with his coming to the event. At the
wedding Mr. Hooper get a glimpse of his own reflection, a sight so frightening that he leaves the
wedding. His actions at the wedding result in doubts in the minds of people. He has decided to
have the veil, and he mentions, it cannot be removed in this world.
The reason for the veil takes precedence throughout the story, but not getting to reason
shows so much about the minister and people around him. He tells his wife about how lonely he
feels in the darkness, behind the veil. He says 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! ( Hawthorne). His wife walks away from him, for one piece of cloth. She walks away
when he is cries out for her and asks her to stay. His mention of how he feels about the veil,
calling is obscurity, he himself unaware of the extent of this darkness he has chosen. The author
again brings another meaning of the veil, it represents the fear of being alone, keeping the wearer
in solitude even with everyone around.
His wife shows the concern for him first. She enquires about what could be the cause of a
punishment so harsh. Mr. Hoopers answers mean nothing to her, she replies For the sake of
your holy office, do away this scandal! ( Hawthorne). Calling it a scandal and a hurdle in his
position as minister. She sees the reason for his veil as mentioned by Mr. Hooper, but she walks
away from the feeling. The author tries to show, how the veil Mr. Hooper wears is more than just
to stop him from facing the world. His veil acts the refection of darkness, which makes people
aware about the sins they have done and hiding them from the world. He calls his veil mortal, It
is but a mortal veil. Personifying the veil to show, the veil he wears is more than a cloth. The
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little piece of cloth, covering a small portion of the minters face, has made him a sinner in the
eyes of everyone he loves.
Towards the end of the story, author takes us to the life of the minister who is now a
clergyman. His life is completely different, his followers are men who have heinous crimes to
cry feel guilty for. The author shows how veil has attracted people who bear the same guilt as
him. They consider him a man of power, power to face and accept his sins. Again the author
shows how veil acts as a mirror where people can see their own worst site. Most fear it, but those
who are not hiding their worst consider is holy and powerful. The author says they had been
with him behind the black veil ( Hawthorne). He means to show that Mr. Hooper can now
connect with those who have shown the courage to accept their crimes like he did. The story
closes at the point where Mr. Hooper dies as Father Hooper. His last words talks about the pain
he has seen after wearing the veil. He says then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath
which I have lived( Hawthorne). The veil again has converted him in a monster, ironically more
of an antichrist father. The veil has made people believe him to be a monster, hiding his good
heart only people could think was the monster he would have been.
Throughout the story, the reason for the remains unknown. The main point of the story is
not what sin made Mr. Hooper punish himself, but how a simple veil meant so much more to
others than the wearer. Anyone who feared his veil had a deep down secret sin that they were
reminded of looking at his veil. Despite being a good man, the only people who understood him
were other sinners who had a guilt like his, those who knew the solitude under the veil. The veil
has been symbol of many things, perceived to be the sins of minister, then the reflection of the
dark sins of others, solace and power for sinners in agony, solitude for the wearer and lastly it
makes a monster out of a good man.
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Works Cited
Full Summary and Analysis of The Ministers Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne by
Nicole Smith, www.articlemyriad.com, Dec 6, 2011, July 19, 2014.
Study Guide for The Minister's Black Veil by Trent Lorcher, www.brighthubeducation.com,
January 20, 2012, July 22, 2014.
The Ministers Black Veil Symbol, Meaning, and the context of Hawthornes Art by W.B.
Carnochan, University of California Press, July 22, 2014.
Explicating a symbol: the case of Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil" www.k-state.edu,
July 22, 2014.