“The Minister’s Black Veil” is a short story that uses the theme of guilt or a sin that is undisclosed. Since Nathaniel Hawthorne’s speciality seems to be describing the emotion a person feels when they are keeping a secret, he accurately captures the sentiment of guilt and shame that seems to claw the inside of a person’s consciousness. Hawthorne’s way of telling the story draws the reader in with his use of his vivid explanations and talented symbolism. Both of these things are an integral part of a short story, and they help the story ensue without losing the reader’s interest. In Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil,” the use of diction helps to immerse the reader into the time period, the details make the reader feel the parishioners’ …show more content…
When Mr. Hooper wears his veil, he causes quite an “indecorous confusion” that causes people to believe that he has a “grievous affliction” or something more than an “innocent sorrow”. The reader can decipher the fact that the parishioners are very distraught with him wearing the veil, and they are engrossed with the parishioners absurd rumours and thoughts. The rumours go as far as to say he trying to hide from God, and that he is openly showing he has committed a sin. His fiancé wishes to find out why he wears this veil just as much as the reader does, and he is stubborn on not truly revealing why. Since he believes that this “dismal shade” should separate him from mankind, he has a “patient weariness”before he dies, but gives the auditors a “mutual affright” when they tried to take his veil off. The author’s use of diction seems to convey the message of how important the veil is to Mr. Hooper. With all of the vocables Hawthorne's uses, it’s easy for the reader to get lost in the world he has created. Hooper’s sudden outburst seems to also startle the reader when he refuses to take of his veil. Hawthorne’s knack of taking his story’s emotion and making the reader feel them as well is one that certainly …show more content…
With the “signal for the bell to cease its summons”, the “general bustle” before the mass begins, yet this is a stark contrast to the “unsought pathos [that] came hand and hand with awe,” when the mass was taking place. With this scene, the reader can conclude that the setting includes a church, but the fact that theme of sin was involved adds more tension to the story. Since sin is something that needs to be eschewed at a church, the notion that the pastor is hiding a secret sin seem to bring a taboo-like situation. The “subtle power [that] was breathed into his words” made the people in the audience feel that he discovered a “hoarded iniquity of deed or thought,” and that the “effect of this vagary” made everyone have feelings of consternation. The reader is drawn into the pastor’s entrancing sermon, because this scene fills the reader up with apprehension. Choosing this type of setting, Hawthorne creates an atmosphere of uncertainty, because the question is, “Why is Mr. Hooper wearing this veil?” The reader is kept in suspense until the end where the pastor claims that it was to show that sin is in