“The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a captivating story categorized in the American Gothic genre. The story revolves around the theme of secret sin which is symbolized by the black veil worn by Mr. Hooper in the story. The black veil becomes a very controversial topic among the townspeople in the story because of the mystery behind what the reverend could be concealing from the public. There are various reasons why Mr. Hooper wears the veil evident from its symbolic nature and meaning throughout the story. The veil becomes so controversial that it affects Mr. Hooper's life and relationships including that between him and his fiancée. Eventually, Mr. Hooper ends up losing his fiancée after she breaks off their engagement.
The main reason for wearing the veil is to represent the invisible veil that humans wear to hide their sin. Mr. Hooper realized that humanity is very complex and there is always the aspect of sin that prompts people to need to hide it from the public. Sin is shameful and wrong in the eyes of society as it follows a lot of judgment and criticism. The small town of Milford in the story is a small town that has strategically be used to symbolize the social aspect of humanity. The small town may symbolize the close group of friends and family in an individual's life who are always the first to make criticisms and judgments.
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Another main reason for wearing the veil was to shield the reverend from the mass criticism and judgment from his congregation and society. Sin has different magnitudes and whether it is grand or subtle, it still suffers negative criticism. Sin is also complex as a result of its origins and various factors that lead to sin. By hiding his face with a veil, Mr. Hooper was creating a major controversy and making it evident that there was some kind of transgression he was masking. Negative criticism and judgment could potentially ruin the reputation of and individual because human nature reacts with impulse rather than reason. The veil is therefore symbolic of the complexity of sin and the need to make judgment and criticism out of reason.
The veil is also used to conceal the true nature of human nature which is mysterious and complex at the same time. This passes the message that even the most innocent and righteous individuals are capable of sin for sin is regarded as an offense against moral or religious law. From this deduction, there is a clear difference between religious law and secular laws. When judgment is done quickly as a result of human nature, the boundary between religious law and secular law is often overlooked creating a discrepancy that is in itself may be considered a sin or infraction.
By wearing the veil, Mr. Hooper reveals the true nature of human beings which is evident from the attitudes and behaviors of the townspeople of Milford. Instead of respecting the symbolic nature of the black veil, the people of Milford gossip and spread manner of slanderous comments about the reverend. Mr. Hooper wears the black veils as a symbol of the sadness in his life including the rate of hypocrisy among his congregants. The veil has a deeper meaning depicting the sadness the reverend has for his congregants and the people of Milford. The people of Milford are so focused on the black veil and the reason behind it and fail to see their shortcomings. The people of Milford live hypocritical lives and sin with the pretense of helping the community. Mr. Hooper, therefore, uses the black veil to shield himself from the hypocrisy and rot in society that could lead him to more sin.
