Examples Of Romanticism In The Minister's Black Veil

“ The Minister's Black Veil:” A chancels dark appearance A dramatic story that creates interest to the congregation by cause of the minister that shows up with a black veil covering his face. The minister will not take off the black veil because it's an indication of a sinful sin, he has done, which the Puritan community won’t stop making rumors and criticizing him as a minister wearing a black veil.
There are various American Romanticism characteristics that are in the story, Exaggerated situations that are in the story are Romanticism characteristics. Some examples of American Romanticism characteristics that are in the story would be the minister's appearance when he is wearing the black veil and the congregation of the town become mysterious of why he's wearing it. “He distinguishes himself from the common heart of humanity
with his black veil and waits for the world to come round to him, He waits in vain” (Askew 239). Mr. Hooper knows that the congregation will become curious of why he’s wearing a black veil. “The eyes are the windows of the soul”(cording 57). The congregation believe that the minister knows their secret sins that they try to hide. Mr. Hooper is a Romantic character due to the black veil that he wears in the story and everyone notices. Mr. Hooper, who is the minister wears the black veil to indicate the darkness that his sins have marked on him. ”And when the topic of the sermon is secret sin, the members of the church assume that the minister has committed an unspeakable crime”(Cording 58). The veil has the congregation thinking about what type of sin the minister has made. Another way Mr. Hooper is a romantic character is when he announces that his face will never be seen again because of the mysterious sin, he has committed, which is why he is wearing the black veil. A black veil symbolizes a dark, sad, dreadful vibe when it's being worn therefore the minister gives that dark vibe to the congregation. “ His congregation thinks he has committed a crime “too horrible”(German 43). In the story Mr. Hooper wears the veil to symbolize that he has a deep, dark, mysterious sin that no one from the congregation knows about. The black veil that is being worn by the minister, Mr. Hooper symbolizes that he is sinful. The minister himself believes he is sinful and it's why he wears the black veil to represent his sins. Three levels in the parable of understanding the symbolism of the black veil are that the black veil has a sinful meaning, people will be be judgmental about it and the black veil isn’t something the puritans wear.
The sinful meaning to why the minister wears the black veil is unknown. Mr. Hooper doesn't say what his sin is , he just realizes that he who is the minister of the puritan community also has sinned like everyone else in the congregation. Another parable of understanding the symbolism about the black veil would that people, which are the Puritans will be judgmental about a minster wearing a black veil. ” On a Sunday when Rev. Hooper first wears the black veil, tells us of the event with a sense of awe and curiosity”(Cording 58). The congregation is surprised when they see the minister wearing a black veil and they feel uncomfortable. The other parable of understanding the symbolism of the black veil is that it gets the puritans at attention. It gets the people's attention due to the fact that Mr. Hooper, who is the minister makes the people think why he is wearing it if it's not a religious thing to
do. In the story there are themes, and symbols that are indicated to the black veil. One of the themes in the story would be when Elizabeth tries to ask the minister the reason to why he is wearing the black veil. “Even the minister’s fiancé Elizabeth, who simply and directly asks him to remove the black crape in her presence, accomplishes only the break-up of their marriage plans” (Cording 58). Due to the minister wearing the veil, he feels that he should be separated from his fiance. A main symbol of the story is veil. Even Though there are two different symbols in the story from the townspeople and the minister, the symbol of the veil is to indicate a negative vibe. The townspeople symbolism of the black veil in the story is that the minister is hiding a secret where in the other hand the black veil is symbolism to the minister as mankind’s general sinfulness. The minister is trying to say that everyone has sins and he wears the veil to admit that he, who is the minister is like everyone else. From my research I have learned that the minister is a person who is not afraid to admit that he has sinned. I have also learned that the puritans during that time would criticizes and make rumors about something they would notice,without knowing the facts. The minister's black veil is a story of American romanticism that shows the conflict between the congregation and the minister because of the black veil, he decided to wear.