Analysis Of The Ministers Black Veil By Nathaniel Hawthorne

The short story â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† by Nathaniel Hawthorne follows the minister Mr. Hooper whose simple change in appearance alters the very nature of his existence in society till his death. While his decision to begin to wear a black veil over his face ostracizes him from society, it also turns him into a more influential clergyman. With the symbolism of the black veil, Hawthorne makes a statement on the involvement of society in personal matters and the â€Å"black veil† that is present over the heart of every man, making the point that everyone is guilty of being sinful. â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† was first published in 1832 and was written during the American Romantic time period. Romanticism was a time period where emotion and†¦show more content†¦Hooper for his reason for donning the black veil: â€Å"no attempts were made...to discover the secret which [the veil] was supposed to hide† (6). Hawthorne portrays society’s obsession with that which they do not know for sure or cannot understand. Hawthorne portrays the townspeople in this way to convey how people can often be involved in matters not concerning them so much so that they often pass judgements that may not be just. In Mr. Hooper’s case, the townspeople are so invested in analyzing his black veil that they allow themselves to be affected by his veil so much that they fear him and his veil, and they even avoid him, all the while not considering how they might be wrong as they are not entirely different from Mr. Hooper. Symbolism is very prom inent throughout the entire short story. The color black typically symbolizes evil, darkness, and sin. The black veil which conceals the minister’s features, with its negative connotation, is representative of sin. The fact that it is a veil, which traditionally has a purpose is to conceal one’s face, implies that the minister’s black veil symbolizes secret sin. Hawthorne uses this symbolism to imply that man is inherently sinful; if a minister could potentially guilty of sin, so can others. For the townspeople, the black veil has various possible meanings. While many townspeople guess at its significance‒some of the townspeopleShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Ministers Black Veil By Nathaniel Hawthorne1398 Words   |  6 PagesThe author Nathaniel Hawthorne is a American novelist. Born into a family of old Puritan lineage, both his life and his work were marked by the Calvinist tradition. John Sutherland points out in his book that Hawthorne was in his e arly childhood when the tragedy of losing a father occurred him making a â€Å"[closer relationship] to his sister, Elizabeth.† (85) His early literary vocation forced him to face numerous economic problems, as his works did not give him enough to live. 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The Fall in the House of Usher, shows a very anxious Roderick Usher sending for a childhoodRead MoreEssay on Ambiguity of The Minister’s Black Veil3127 Words   |  13 PagesAmbiguity of â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   There is no end to the ambiguity in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil†; this essay hopes to explore this problem within the tale.    In New England Men of Letters Wilson Sullivan relates the purpose of Hawthorne’s veiled image:    He sought, in Hamlet’s telling words to his palace players, â€Å"to hold the mirror up to nature,† and to report what he saw in that mirror – even his own veiled image – without distortionRead More The Minister’s Black Veil – Solitude Essay3553 Words   |  15 Pagesâ€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† – Solitude  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Henry Seidel Canby in â€Å"A Skeptic Incompatible with His Time and His Past† explains regarding the solitude of Nathaniel Hawthorne: â€Å"His reserve and love of solitude were the defenses of an imagination formed by peculiar circumstances and playing upon circumstances still more peculiar† (55). Let us explore in this essay the solitude within â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† and its author.    Herman Melville in â€Å"Hawthorne and His Mosses†