Minister's Black Veil Meaning

Words: 1358
Pages: 6
Open Document
This analysis discusses “The Minister’s Black Veil” and the symbolic meaning behind it as well as the theme. The veil was used as a symbol in order to represent a deeper meaning which Hawthorne has intended to present to his readers. When reading the story, Hawthorne didn’t mention the veil being evil, nor said anything about it, but it is intended that way in order for the reader to try to find the deeper meaning of it while reading. Not only did the veil cause disruption amongst his town, but also realization which is seen at the end of it all.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Minister’s Black Veil”, Hawthorne uses a black a veil as a symbol in the story in order to represent something much greater. In the short story, …show more content…
In The Minister's Black Veil there are romantic characteristics such as The inevitability of fate, the failure of human nature, the limitations of humanity, mystery and suspense, and the failure of human nature. The story also connects to American Romanticism because one of the main focuses is individual freedom because it forces an individual to be thinking for themselves. In the short story, Reverend Hooper chooses to wear a black veil over his face for the rest of his life in order to prove his point to his townspeople. In the end of the story when Mr. Hooper is lying on his deathbed, the people finally realize the meaning behind it. The veil was used to reflect the hidden sin and sorrow which he hid in himself. Overall, Mr. Hooper was not the only one hiding sin and sorrow from his peers, everyone hides it, but you are not always able to see …show more content…
A The symbolic meaning of the veil is that it hides one’s secrets and sorrow which they hold within themselves. The veil is used to symbolize what can be seen as a mask which covers who the person truly is behind all the sin and sorrow. Mr. Hooper argues that everyone around him is wearing a veil, but people fail to see it because they are too busy looking at the outer physical features rather than the ones that are hidden within a
Show More

Related Documents: Minister's Black Veil Meaning

Symbols In The Minister's Black Veil

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works especially his short story “The Minister’s Black Veil.” Throughout the story, Hawthorne presents a tale that equally confuses the reader and the characters. However, by the end of the story all is clear and the loose ends are tied together. The symbol of the black veil initially appears dark and is feared as well as judged by all, but as the story progresses a deeper meaning is presented. The story “The Minister’s Black Veil” is intriguing because the reader and the characters…

Words 524 - Pages 3

Analysis Of The Minister's Black Veil

Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil” depicts a struggle between individual morality and communal values. Parson Hooper adorns a veil that acts as a looking-glass, which magnifies the projection of sin onto the parishioners’. Hawthorne dramatizes the conflict between Parson Hooper and the townspeople of Milferd to demonstrate that appearances often contradict reality. Through this conflict, Hawthorne implies that every person hides behind a veil of their own. “The Minister’s Black Veil” is a short…

Words 400 - Pages 2

The Scarlet Essay

Amanda Jackson Ms. Ole English III-7 April 12, 2014 Alienation Within a Veil All people struggle, some more than others, but everyone struggles. People’s journeys vary. It is how they choose to carry their burdens that make them the men and women they become. Some falter; others shine. Sometimes, people feel broken. When this happens, they often feel like they have to hide themselves from the world. In the “Minister’s Black Veil,” Nathanial Hawthorne demonstrates alienation through the depiction of…

Words 871 - Pages 4

Essay Comparing The Cask Of Amontillado And The Minister's Black Veil

American Renaissance, birth of new challengers rose, called the Dark Romantics. “The Cask of Amontillado” written by Edgar Allan Poe and “The Minister’s Black Veil” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne are two pieces of writing that exposes the darkness of humans. “The Cask of Amontillado” reveals the narrator’s intention of murder, while “The Minister’s Black Veil” unveils the human’s irrational fear of differences. As Dark Romantics, Poe and Hawthorne both proclaim that humans are creatures that naturally…

Words 599 - Pages 3

Irony In The Minister's Black Veil

what secret meanings are in the story. In “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, you can read all of the secret meanings that were put into the story. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story has the theme of how we all have same that we hide, which can be supported by irony and all of the symbolism that can be found. Irony has helped out with the theme because some of the people in the story kept making comments about the stuff that Mr. Hooper is doing, from wearing the veil to pretending…

Words 492 - Pages 2

Sacrifice In The Minister's Black Veil

difficult for others to perceive and understand at the time these sacrifices take place. In The Minister's Black Veil, the character, Reverend Hooper, uniquely and powerfully demonstrated a small gesture in which he wore a black veil to represent our hidden sins. By wearing the veil, he made a dramatic life-changing sacrifice, which in the end revealed its true value and meaning. By wearing the veil, Reverend Hooper’s image and life had dramatically changed in the story. Reverend Hooper was once…

Words 1040 - Pages 5

The Minister's Black Veil And The Scarlet Letter

dignity of expression; all that happens is raised to the dignity of meaning. Everything is either symbol or parable.” Paul Claudel. Nathaniel Hawthorne, a famous author from the 1800’s, is most known for his parables. A parable is a story with a lesson to be learned. Some of Hawthorne’s most famous parables are The Minister’s Black Veil and The Scarlet Letter. In 1836, Hawthorne published the short story The Minister’s Black Veil. Like with most of his stories, Hawthorne uses literature to convey…

Words 441 - Pages 2

What Does The Minister's Black Veil Symbolize

The parable,"The Minister's black veil", discusses characteristics that show feelings towards other people, civilization, religious reasons, and individual freedom. These characteristics are seen in the short story "The Minister's black veil." The first characteristic is “Civilization”. An example from the story would be “on a nearer view it seemed to consist of two folds of crape, which entirely concealed his features, except the mouth and chin, but probably did not insert his sights, further…

Words 946 - Pages 4

The Devil And Tom Walker 'And The Minister's Black Veil'

“The Minister’s Black Veil,” both which have an underlying dark, religious background. The fear of the devil was great at the time and sin was greatly looked down upon, which authors from the era properly reflect in their literature. Many modern-day skeptics look down on the colonial lifestyle and the prude, dark, religious world that it was believed to be. A document written by John Winthrop in 1629 helps to…

Words 873 - Pages 4

Essay on Ministers Black Veil

Brittany Wilson English 1302 Tony Roberts 8 September 2013 The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne The Minister’s Black Veil portrays what is like to be judged and processed through the mind of a person who gives so much, but only receives nothing. Mr. Hooper had the reputation of a good preacher, but not an energetic one: he strove to win his people heavenward by mild, persuasive influences, rather than to drive them thither by the thunders of the word as stated in the story. The minister…

Words 546 - Pages 3