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

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Minister’s Black Veil” is commonly referred to as one of the greatest examples of American short fiction. The parable, like many of Hawthorne’s stories, is centered on one symbol. In this case, the symbol is a black veil worn by Reverend Hooper in order to showcase ‘secret sin’. The veil itself leaves readers questioning whether Hooper successfully gets his message across. Hawthorne generates an abundance of positive and negative effects in his short story that establish whether a lifetime behind the symbolic black veil is ultimately worth it for Mr. Hooper. The black veil has a few unexpected outcomes that positively affect the community as well as the Reverend. The most positive thing about the veil is the message behind it. The black veil, worn by Reverend Hooper, “[has] reference to
Upon seeing the Reverend’s new veiled appearance, the church goers question if it is truly his face behind the piece of crape, or if he has actually lost his sanity. The members of Mr. Hooper’s congregation suspect him of trying to hide something, a sin to horrific to fathom. The veil leaves the Reverend feeling exiled by the community, “more than one woman of delicate nerves was forced to leave the meeting-house” (Hawthorne 390). Where the congregation would once invite Parson Hooper into their homes for dinner on Sunday afternoons, they become too fearful of the black veil to carry on with tradition. Along with the community, the black veil results in the loss of Hooper’s fiancé, Elizabeth. At first, Elizabeth was not concerned with her beloved wearing the veil. It is the refusal to “lift the veil but once and look [her] in the face” (395) that drives her away. The veil strips Reverend Hooper of his fiancé and separates him from his fellow men. Hawthorne leaves readers wondering how both the positive and the negative effect Hooper’s