Reflection Blog: The Minister in the Black Veil

One of the more famous writer's during the Dark Romanticism era was Nathaniel Hawthorne. His masterpiece "The Minister in the Black Veil" symbolizes sin and the human's natural inclination to disregard this so called "sin" and just go on with one's happy life. In the beginning of the story, one of the character's describes Mr. Hooper, a local pastor, and a peculiar black veil he wore while preaching a sermon. "How strange," said a lady, "that a simple black veil, such as any woman might wear on her bonnet, should become such a terrible thing on Mr. Hooper's face," (Hawthorne). It can be said that Hawthorne used Mr. Hooper's black veil as a symbol. First of all, the distinguishing color, black, sets the veil apart for a number of reasons. During the Dark Romanticism period, literature and the figures portrayed in said literature were, well...dark. Much like the color black has become a symbol of death and evil, the black in the pastor's veil symbolizes sin. Everyday sin, in my opinion, includes indulging one's self in worldly things, like watching too much television, focusing more on texting instead of reading the bible, or even disrespecting others around you. This type of behavior has become so accustomed to today's society that is hard to notice it blatantly day in and day out. Much like the veil Mr. Hooper wears, we as humans fail to see a sin that becomes a habitual part of our daily lives. This mindset so strongly reflects the Dark Romanticism era. Instead of portraying man as a happy and benevolent creature, writers began to demonstrate the evil that lurks and lingers in almost every individual. The black veil that Mr. Hooper wore and never took off made individuals in the town realize that a hidden sin lies behind everyone. The author intended to make a point, which is understanding that nobody is perfect and we all have secrets held captive by pride and justification. Toward the end of the short story, Mr. Hooper lies on his deathbed when a young minister asks if he will take off his veil one last time to reveal his face. Even in the midst of death, the pastor refuses to give up his veil. "'Never!' cried the veiled clergyman. 'On earth, never,'" (Hawthorne). I think that the town's people found Mr. Hooper to be a role model in a sense. He realized that on earth, he was a terrible sinner. He saw past the dark romantic of the era and accepted his sins wishing to show other's that no one was perfect. Nathaniel Hawthorne's Dark Romantic novel consists of characteristics such as evil, darkness, and death that defined the era as a whole. These qualities uniquely sets the dark romantic era from the previous romantic time period that too swept the country in literature, artwork, and society. The "dark veil" was no costume for poor Mr. Hooper. It was symbol for much more. As a pastor, he realized that the townspeople were losing faith and hope. I think he thought his dignified decision to never reveal himself from under the veil was very wise and admirable and teaches Hawthorne's audience that people may seem perfect on the outside, but on the inside they hide a great deal of "secret sin".

Hawthorne,, Nathaniel. "The Minister's Black Veil, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1836." Eldritch Press. Web. 24 Jan. 2012