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What Does The Veil Symbolize In The Minister's Black Veil

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The story " The Minister's Black Veil" was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this story Hawthorne used a black veil to represent sin. The point that Hawthorne was trying to make by using the black veil was that everyone has sin that they keep hidden from all others. People don't want to admit their sins. They may be ashamed of them, want them to remain hidden, or possibly forgotten. Mr. Hooper wears the veil on his face making it impossible to hide. People began to dread his approach and withdrew themselves from him whenever possible. Wearing the veil was a constant reminder to all, the guilt they carry from their sins is in everyone and impossible to hide.
In the beginning Mr. Hooper was described as "a gentlemanly person, of about thirty, though still a bachelor, was dressed with due clerical neatness, as if a careful wife had starched his band, and brushed the weekly dust from his Sunday garb." This seemed to be the case until on Sunday when Mr. Hooper walked out to present his sermon, and there was something different about his appearance. Something so out of character that some questioned if it was Mr. Hooper, or perhaps another minister, standing before them. The saxton confirmed that it was indeed Mr. …show more content…
Hooper. One afternoon he was giving a funeral for a young lady that had passed. For some reason his veil was thought to be appropriate for this occasion. As Mr. Hooper said his goodbye's to the deceased he leaned over her body. He quickly stood up because he noticed if she wasn't dead and had her eyes opened at that moment she would have seen his face under the veil. Some of the townspeople even started referring to him as having a spiritual connection with the dead. For example, the way a witness from the funeral noticed the body of the dead shiver when Mr. Hooper's face was exposed for that split second. Or, the way one lady looked back because she believed the young lady's spirit was walking down the street with Mr.

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