Minister Swag

Nathaniel Hawthorne has had a long history of writing stories that deliver enthralling, radical ideas packaged in exquisite symbols. The short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” is no exception to this history. In this parable, the topic of sinning and how it plays a part in society is the theme discussed. The main symbol found throughout “The Minister’s Black Veil”, the black veil, proves this by representing how people hide the intrinsic part of life that is sinning, and showing how people of a Puritan society act towards secret sin. The symbolic black veil and its wearer help reveal Hawthorne’s opinions on wrongdoing, teaching a valuable lesson in life that may otherwise go unnoticed: everyone has a veil they hide behind that conceals their sins from one another, so sin that is recognized should be approached in a different fashion by others.

The black veil found in “The Minister’s Black Veil” is an extraordinary symbol that helps display Nathaniel Hawthorne’s opinions on sin. To fully understand the role of the veil as a symbol, one must understand what a veil is meant for, which is to cover one’s face. This purpose plays a part in displaying its symbolic role as well. The black veil in this short story represents hiding one’s persona and shedding light on the sins they have committed. As a result, the black veil has the effect of causing one to look at the wearer for their sins, rather than their actual character. This is corroborated when Hooper said he had “sorrows dark enough to be typified by a black veil” (Hawthorne 5).