Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil” has long been a subject of discussion and debate especially when referring to the meaning of the veil. Shrouded in mystery, the veil is open to a variety of interpretations, none of which the author confirmed or denied. Despite Hawthorne’s ambiguous approach one thing remains certain and that is the veil in “The Minister’s Black Veil” functions as a symbol of secret sin that can be understood when viewed from either the outside looking in, from behind the veil itself, or from neither side at all.
Many critics have sought to understand the veil from the outside, as one of members of Mr. Hooper’s congregation. There are two general trends to this method of interpreting the veil: as a symbol of …show more content…
During both instances the minister speaks directly of man’s tendency to hide his sin from God and from one another, and even reminds his audience that one day all secrets will be revealed in the presence of the Lord. However, Mr. Hooper does not remain so direct in the duration of the story, and through Hawthorne’s unique narration, doubt is instilled into the reader. Questions such as why Mr. Hooper chooses to wear the veil even into the grave rather than explain its significance to the congregation and then remove it, or why he allows the veil to interfere with his relationships with others are the type of questions which plagued the reader. Be that as it may, one critic proposes the idea that Mr. Hooper dons the veil for his stated reasoning, to represent secret sin among humankind, but continues to wear it because he believes himself to be evil. Walsh suggests the minister’s inability to differentiate between a sinful act and one of neutral, or no significant standing, leads the reverend to think that all his actions are evil (92). This can be seen when the narrator describes Mr. Hooper’s words caused “the most innocent girl, and the man of hardened breast [feel] as if the preacher had… discovered their hoarded iniquity of deed and thought” (Hawthorne, …show more content…
From this perspective understanding the veil no longer entails seeking to understand what the veil conceals but rather how the veil affects the one wearing it. For instance, when looking at the world through the veil, vision is dimmed and a gloom is cast over everything once familiar and vibrant. However, this gloom affects more than just the physical vision, but one’s emotional and spiritual state as well. Such a gloom is displayed in Mr. Hooper during his meeting with Elizabeth in which he confesses to being lonely and the fear of being isolated forever due to the veil (Hawthorne, 336). During this same meeting the audience is also made aware of the minister’s feelings through his facial expressions which are characterized as having elements of light while also being melancholy. These contrasting elements lend to the audience’s understanding of the effect of the veil by revealing that even though the wearer gains a new insight into the world, this same revelation also separates him or her from society. The veil is also said to create a barrier between the reverend and the holy text. According to Montbriand this also signifies the spiritual barrier that the veil creates between Mr. Hooper and God. He equates this to the minister questioning where his soul will reside for eternity in terms of predestination,
Many critics have sought to understand the veil from the outside, as one of members of Mr. Hooper’s congregation. There are two general trends to this method of interpreting the veil: as a symbol of …show more content…
During both instances the minister speaks directly of man’s tendency to hide his sin from God and from one another, and even reminds his audience that one day all secrets will be revealed in the presence of the Lord. However, Mr. Hooper does not remain so direct in the duration of the story, and through Hawthorne’s unique narration, doubt is instilled into the reader. Questions such as why Mr. Hooper chooses to wear the veil even into the grave rather than explain its significance to the congregation and then remove it, or why he allows the veil to interfere with his relationships with others are the type of questions which plagued the reader. Be that as it may, one critic proposes the idea that Mr. Hooper dons the veil for his stated reasoning, to represent secret sin among humankind, but continues to wear it because he believes himself to be evil. Walsh suggests the minister’s inability to differentiate between a sinful act and one of neutral, or no significant standing, leads the reverend to think that all his actions are evil (92). This can be seen when the narrator describes Mr. Hooper’s words caused “the most innocent girl, and the man of hardened breast [feel] as if the preacher had… discovered their hoarded iniquity of deed and thought” (Hawthorne, …show more content…
From this perspective understanding the veil no longer entails seeking to understand what the veil conceals but rather how the veil affects the one wearing it. For instance, when looking at the world through the veil, vision is dimmed and a gloom is cast over everything once familiar and vibrant. However, this gloom affects more than just the physical vision, but one’s emotional and spiritual state as well. Such a gloom is displayed in Mr. Hooper during his meeting with Elizabeth in which he confesses to being lonely and the fear of being isolated forever due to the veil (Hawthorne, 336). During this same meeting the audience is also made aware of the minister’s feelings through his facial expressions which are characterized as having elements of light while also being melancholy. These contrasting elements lend to the audience’s understanding of the effect of the veil by revealing that even though the wearer gains a new insight into the world, this same revelation also separates him or her from society. The veil is also said to create a barrier between the reverend and the holy text. According to Montbriand this also signifies the spiritual barrier that the veil creates between Mr. Hooper and God. He equates this to the minister questioning where his soul will reside for eternity in terms of predestination,