Beyond the “Minister’s Black Veil”: the Search of a Pure Soul and Unveiled Life
Beyond the “Minister’s Black Veil”: The Search of a Pure Soul and Unveiled Life
Hawthorne’s story “The Minister’s Black Veil” talks about a Church Minister called Mr. Hooper, who in a Sabbath day, brought perturbation and chaos among his congregation while appearing with a black crape covering his face. However, the community throughout thee story whispers that the black veil refers to how “Mr. Hooper’s conscience tortured him for some great crime, too horrible to be entirely concealed” (Hawthorne 340). Even Elizabeth “as his plighted wife” (339) could not conceal nor remove the veil from Mr. Hooper.
Although Father Hooper did not reveal the mystery of the black veil, he made an statement almost at the end of the story that gives readers a reason to not only justifies his acts, but to reflect or learn from them: When the friend shows his inmost fear to his friend; the lover to his best beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! On every visage a Black Veil! (342).
Was Mr. Hooper just hiding a crime or sin behind his veil? Or was Mr. Hooper trying to show a spiritual lesson to his congregation? Why the brief smile despite all stares and comments? Why was the black veil just hiding Hooper’s eyes while the mouth still disclosed?
The answer could be that Reverend Hooper is going farther in his spiritual ministry. His Black Veil is an assumption of how the human and spiritual life has to be: pure and coherent. The narrator said, “Among all its bad influences, the black veil had the one desirable effect, of making its wearer a very efficient clergyman” (340). Surely, neither human nor saints have been perfect, rather they have recognized their weaknesses (humility) and lifted them up to light to be changed. Hooper brought a weird sensation up that could be feeling around. “She arose,
Hawthorne’s story “The Minister’s Black Veil” talks about a Church Minister called Mr. Hooper, who in a Sabbath day, brought perturbation and chaos among his congregation while appearing with a black crape covering his face. However, the community throughout thee story whispers that the black veil refers to how “Mr. Hooper’s conscience tortured him for some great crime, too horrible to be entirely concealed” (Hawthorne 340). Even Elizabeth “as his plighted wife” (339) could not conceal nor remove the veil from Mr. Hooper.
Although Father Hooper did not reveal the mystery of the black veil, he made an statement almost at the end of the story that gives readers a reason to not only justifies his acts, but to reflect or learn from them: When the friend shows his inmost fear to his friend; the lover to his best beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! On every visage a Black Veil! (342).
Was Mr. Hooper just hiding a crime or sin behind his veil? Or was Mr. Hooper trying to show a spiritual lesson to his congregation? Why the brief smile despite all stares and comments? Why was the black veil just hiding Hooper’s eyes while the mouth still disclosed?
The answer could be that Reverend Hooper is going farther in his spiritual ministry. His Black Veil is an assumption of how the human and spiritual life has to be: pure and coherent. The narrator said, “Among all its bad influences, the black veil had the one desirable effect, of making its wearer a very efficient clergyman” (340). Surely, neither human nor saints have been perfect, rather they have recognized their weaknesses (humility) and lifted them up to light to be changed. Hooper brought a weird sensation up that could be feeling around. “She arose,
Cited: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. ”The Black Veil” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2012. 334-42. Print.