Analysis of The Ministers Black Veil by Reverend Hooper - Book Report/Review Example

“The Minister’s Black Veil” In this story, the minister puts on a veil across his face as a means of showing his congregation that they are living sinful lives and that some of their most sinful acts are normally hidden from others in society. The fact that he opts to use the veil is highly symbolic because under normal circumstances, the veil is normally used for purposes of covering one’s face either from public view, or from natural occurrences such as the wind and sand. However, in this case, the minister chooses to use it for the purpose of ensuring that his congregation is aware of the sinful lives which they are living. The minister’s veil is at first found to be most terrifying especially for those individuals who have something to hide, and this creates a situation where they feel exposed when they see him wearing the veil (Boone 165). The fact that the minister wears the veil also shows his decision to become detached from the worldly life as it is the source of all evils and should not be accommodated. One would suggest that sin is something which man cannot do with his whole being because of the conflict which he has within him that what he is doing is wrong. One would further state that although man can choose to ignore the conflict concerning the sin that he is committing, he cannot completely forget the fact that what he is doing is wrong. This is very true of the Christian understanding of sin because in Christianity, sin is caused by man’s very own nature and that in fact, it is stated the man was born with sin in his heart. It can be said that the Reverend Hooper chooses to put on a veil as a means of ensuring that he not only hides his face from his congregation but also from himself in an attempt not to see his own face as well as allow others to gaze on him (Hawthorne 7). It seems that he realizes that all of the people in society, despite making displays of their innocence and goodness, are all sinners who commit some of the worst acts not only towards themselves but also towards other human beings. This belief is further strengthened by the stance that all of those people in society who show their faces are hypocrites projecting a face which seems genuine when in public, but when in private, they do the very opposite, doing things which some would find to be despicable. Thus, Hooper’s putting on the veil is a means of showing that he is done with all the hypocrisy in his society and does what most of the people in his congregation would not do; he reveals that he is a sinner (Saunders 420). The fact that he wears the veils is not a means of hiding his sinful nature, as one would speculate, but doing the direct opposite, since it reveals that the minister, despite his position in the society, is still a man like any other, thus a sinner. This can be considered to be a great act of courage because he not only wears the veil on one occasion, but continues to do so for the rest of his life, and this despite the numerous requests from those close to him to take it off. The minister’s veil can be considered to be a symbol of the sacrifices that individuals in the society have to make to ensure that they live lives which are devoid of sin (Hawthorne 6). While in most cases, individuals often choose to ignore their sinful nature and instead choose to live their lives in any way that they want, this is not the case with those who choose to live without sin. This is because most of them have to renounce most of the pleasures of life and instead live more or less like hermits who do not abide by any of the norms of their societies except those that keep them away from sin (Jung 213). The fact that the minister puts on the veil creates tension in his relationship with his fiancée, Elizabeth, who chooses to break off the engagement because he refuses to take off the veil. This rejection of Hooper by his fiancée can be considered to be a symbol of her rejection of her own sinful nature. She instead chooses to leave the man who makes her aware of her hidden sins so that she cannot be able to face them (Hawthorne 7). Elizabeth can be considered to be a symbol of man’s rejection of his sinful nature, preferring to live under the illusion that their lives are perfect and that they have nothing to hide, while in truth, the opposite is true. This becomes a dilemma for Elizabeth because despite the fact that she had left the minister, like him, she remains single and chooses not to marry. This shows that despite her inability to face her sinful nature, she still loves Reverend Hooper and this is further exemplified by the fact that she goes to be with him in his deathbed (Hawthorne 11). The fact that the people of the town are afraid of the minister’s wearing the black veil across his face is a testimony to these people not really knowing each other. In addition, it can be sad that since these people are of a puritan background, they have to live a life which is seen to be righteous in order to remain part of the community (Vanderlaan 39). While this may be the case, all of these people fail to accept the fact that sin is part of their nature and despite their show of righteousness; they are still sinners in their private lives (Maus 76). The minister’s veil is a symbol of his rejection of the long held notions by his society that the outward show of righteousness alone is enough. He challenges his congregation to live a life which accepts that sin and evil are a part of their nature and that even though they keep hiding this nature, they will eventually come to face the judgment of God for the sinful things which they have done in secret. This contributes to their continued fear of the minister even as he is still involved in the social life of the society through his duties. His ability to completely disassociate himself from the rest of the community through his putting on the black veil and acknowledging his sinful nature proves to be essential in the redemption of some individual who, in their deathbeds call for his presence. In the discussion above, it has been found that the minister chooses to use the black veil that he is wearing for the purpose of ensuring that his congregation is aware of the sinful lives which they are living. It can be said that the Reverend Hooper chooses to put on a veil as a means of ensuring that he not only hides his face from his congregation, but also from himself in an attempt not to see his own sinful face as well as allow others to gaze on him. The minister’s veil can be considered to be a symbol of the sacrifices that individuals in the society have to make to ensure that they live lives which are devoid of sin. The fact that the people of the town are afraid of the minister’s wearing the black veil across his fact is a testimony to these people not really knowing each other. This results in the redemption of some of the people in society, and thus justifies the actions of the minister. Works Cited Boone, N. S. “‘The Ministers Black Veil’ and Hawthornes Ethical Refusal of Reciprocity: A Levinasian Parable.” Renascence 57.3 (2005): 165–237. Print. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Minister’s Black Veil.” 1836. Print. Jung, Yonjae. "The New Americanist Intervention into the Canon." American Studies International 42.2 (2004): 213–25. Print. Maus, Derek. "The Devils in the Details: The Role of Evil in the Short Fiction on Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol and Nathaniel Hawthorne." Papers on Language and Literature 38.1 (2002): 76–107. Print. Saunders, Judith P. "Hawthornes Theory of Mind: An Evolutionary Psychological Approach to ‘The Ministers Black Veil.’” Style 46.3 (2012): 420–506. Print. Vanderlaan, Kim. "Empire and Allegory in Henry Jamess the Europeans." Journal of American Studies 45.1 (2011): 39–51. Print. Read More