The Minister's Black Veil Literary Analysis

Have you ever committed a sin and hidden it from everyone? If so, you must have realized that hidden sin changes how other people view you and how you view them. In “The Ministers Black Veil”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, has this powerful theme tying the story together. Mr. Hooper, the protagonist in the novel, is the minister of a small town. When first introduced, the character is a wearing a black veil in front of his face, causing a great commotion among the townspeople, who feel intimidated and disgusted. The veil changes the way the townspeople view their minister and how he views them and himself. Nathaniel Hawthorne intended for the veil to be a symbol of hidden sin and how it separates people from each other. In the end, “The Ministers Black Veil” conveys a powerful message about hidden sin and the separation it causes, changing peoples’ view of themselves and others. The first occurrence of the theme of separation is right in the beginning when the minister is seen coming out of his chambers with a black veil draped over his face. Reactions from the townspeople show both confusion and curiosity as can be seen when Goodman Gray, the sexton of the town, asks, “Are you sure this is our parson?” after he first …show more content…
In one scene, the minister sees his own reflection in a glass; he finds himself scared of his own complexion, “his frame shuddered his lips grew white” (4). As can be seen here, sin causes separation, not only between people, but also with oneself. Later on in the story, the minister is speaking with his fiancé, Elizabeth, trying to convince her not to leave him because of the veil. Mr. Hooper says, “you know not how lonely I am, and how frightened, to be alone behind my black veil” (6). This odd statement shows that he does not feel comfortable being alone by himself, suggesting that the sin has caused separation within himself