Analysis of “The Minister’s Black Veil”

Like the people in town, the reader is left somewhat in the dark as to the reasons
for Hooper’s choice of the black veil. It is clear that he is not mentally disturbed
as he continues behaving normally so it seems that the only other option is that
he is either in mourning or is hiding something. The numerous references to
secret sin (a common theme in works by Nathaniel Hawthorne) make it more
likely that this is the cause but there are never any clues as to what his sin might
have been.

Academia has offered many interpretations of "The Minister's Black Veil" by

Nathaniel Hawthorne and its themes and meanings. Some scholars have
suggested that Hooper did something unspeakable with the corpse of the
woman for whom the funeral was for and others have suggested that he was
simply trying to prove a point about inherent or original sin. This is Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s most contentious work and the last hundred years have produced a
wide body of scholarship aimed at making sense of it. It is suggested that if you
are writing a paper, you take a look at the outside sources listed below to get an
idea of the many theories that are out there.

One of the first themes in The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel

Hawthorne that readers are likely to recognize is the reaction of the townspeople
to change, especially when a change is associated with their religion or religious
figures. This is clearly not an accepting community and it is worth thinking
critically about the way the whole community comes together to shun him,
especially if you are considering this text in light of Hawthorne’s most famous
work, The Scarlet Letter. The veil makes the Reverend look dark and gloomy and
instantly, even before one day is through the people in town are witnessing
supernatural events.

It seems there is something to said about the group mentality of Puritans

and their quick tendencies toward superstition. Elizabeth is the only exception to
this reaction but even she cannot take it and chooses not to marry her betrothed.
Part of this is due to the wild rumors that are circulating and it should be noted
that this happens right away. This tendency for the Puritan community to begin
instantly judging and wagging tongues is part of what Hooper is referring to at
the end of the story when he suggests that everyone is wearing a veil. He is
saying that none of them are free from sin, the only difference between Hooper
and them is that he recognizes his sin instead of acts as though he is without it.

It must be understood that this is a text written about the Puritan period
during which the general feeling was that everyone was born with original or
inherent sin. All people were guilt in the eyes of God and all that one could do
was work hard and remain apart from it. Obviously, sin is a major theme here as
it is in Hawthorne’s other works although it is more ambiguous. Unlike in The
Scarlet Letter, the reader has no idea whether or not Hooper is guilty of some
awful sin. This forces readers to think about the other possible reasons the
Reverend might be donning the veil.

Although there are clues, they are all contradictory. Furthermore, the fact
that the story ends with a note about a real minister who took on a veil after
accidentally killing his friend lends credence to the idea that the minister really
did do something worthy of his self-punishment and hiding away until after
death. Again, nothing is clear and the best the reader or student of this text can
do it find a solid thesis statement and stick with it. It would be just as
supportable by the text to say that the minister was punishing himself for his
secret sin as it would be to suggest the opposite and remember that there are
really no wrong answers when it comes to this story as long as you can use
quotes to support what you say.