Puritans are known because they hold the pure word of the Bible high and consider the Bible as law. In “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mr. Hooper wears a black veil over his face that ultimately causes him to feel the effects of secret sin. The congregation reacts to him according to their Puritan beliefs and he is therefore left lonely. Hawthorne creates the Puritan community as a “vital character” in “The Minister’s Black Veil” in order to develop the effects of secret sin, display the natural purity of women, and to develop the parable to show the reaction to secret sin. Secret sin is one of the primary themes of this parable as Mr. Hooper is covered in the cloud of sin that his veil creates. Hawthorne also adds the Puritan community’s sin into the parable although their veils are not visible. While Mr. Hooper preaches on the topic of secret sin, his congregation is left to “spread their clasped hands on their bosoms” in shock because from “the most innocent girl”
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Hooper is left to himself in isolation due to the sin that wraps around his dark veil. The Puritan community makes comments ranging from “I don’t like it.” (1) to an old woman calling Mr. Hooper “ghostlike” (2). Fear strikes in the community and causes the people in the community to “turn aside to avoid him” or “others would make it a point of hardihood to throw themselves in his way” (5). Regardless of their reaction, the people left him alienated from the commonwealth therefore leaving him with just his black veil or simply alone with his secret sin. Hawthorne uses the community to show how secret sin can affect the holder’s life just like Mr. Hooper’s. In addition on Mr. Hooper’s deathbed Reverend Mr. Clark requests that Mr. Hooper removes the veil for “judgement” because he sees no reason for the veil to remain, but with this Hooper declares that “lo! on every visage a Black Veil!” (7). This shows that everyone will take their secret sin to the
Hooper is left to himself in isolation due to the sin that wraps around his dark veil. The Puritan community makes comments ranging from “I don’t like it.” (1) to an old woman calling Mr. Hooper “ghostlike” (2). Fear strikes in the community and causes the people in the community to “turn aside to avoid him” or “others would make it a point of hardihood to throw themselves in his way” (5). Regardless of their reaction, the people left him alienated from the commonwealth therefore leaving him with just his black veil or simply alone with his secret sin. Hawthorne uses the community to show how secret sin can affect the holder’s life just like Mr. Hooper’s. In addition on Mr. Hooper’s deathbed Reverend Mr. Clark requests that Mr. Hooper removes the veil for “judgement” because he sees no reason for the veil to remain, but with this Hooper declares that “lo! on every visage a Black Veil!” (7). This shows that everyone will take their secret sin to the