Symbolism in the Minister's Black

Symbolism in "The Minister's Black Veil" Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes symbolism in "The Minister's Black Veil" to emphasize the sinful nature of man. Hooper becomes a symbol of goodness as he wears the veil and serves as constant reminder to those around him that we all fall short in regard to purity. Hooper believes that through expressing this notion with a veil and keeping his sermons less damning, his message is stronger. The veil serves as a symbol of sin.

It separates Hooper from others and, as a result, every time they see him, they are reminded of their condition. Through symbolism, Hawthorne explores the delicate nature of man and his place in the world in "The Minister's Black Veil." Hooper is a symbol of goodness He sacrifices his life to minister to others b. He wishes to teach gently The veil is a symbol of sin a. It separates Hooper from others b. It reminds others of their sin Hooper wears veil to illustrate the truth about humanity a.

Hooper uses the veil to speak to the community b. Hooper is a reminder of the human condition Actions speak louder than words and nothing illustrates this point more powerfully than Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, "The Minister's Black Veil." In this tale, the minister's black veil becomes an object that everyone must observe and be reminded of it practically every day. The veil represents many things, with one of the most prominent symbols of the veil being the goodness of God's word.

In addition, the veil also serves as a symbol of man's sin. By placing this on his face, no one look at him without being reminded of the veil and its message. Hooper attempts to make people think about their human nature through his veil. For example, the veil may be a symbol of sin, or a sign of God, or perhaps it is a work of art with the minister being the artist.

Each of these interpretations leads to the same result in that they force people to look upon his condition and consider the facade he hides behind. As a result, the veil serves as a reminder of our human condition. Through symbolism, Hawthorne explores the delicate nature of man and his place in the world in "The Minister's Black Veil." Symbolism becomes significant to understanding the story and Hawthorne's message. Minister Hooper becomes a symbol in that he represents the goodness of the word of God.

As such, he must stand out as a representative. This strategy is successful as others look upon him as something different from themselves, noting that something 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 634). He is recognized as wearing something terrible, which is significant to Hawthorne's message. Here we see that Hawthorne is deliberately setting Hooper apart from the others.

He is different not because he was born that way but because he chooses to be that way. Since he is a man of God, the word of God is defined and clarified through him and the minister's relationship with God serves as an example for others. What we must not overlook is how Hawthorne presents Hooper as an example of faith with every day of his life. Hooper wants to be seen as something different.

While he may be free from sin, he does not want to forget his sinful nature. He wishes to remind others of this nature by showing them the black veil. Gilbert Voight maintains that Hooper's wearing of the black veil lent strange power to his warnings to callous sinners, even though he. had to pay for this power the costly price of misunderstanding, loneliness, and agony of soul" (Voight 338) "The prolonged suffering,. Hawthorne depicts dramatically and climatically with sure and telling art" (338).

From this perspective, it is not "improbable that Hawthorne "conceived Hooper as a Mew England counterpart of the ancient spokesman of Jehovah who were constrained to resort. To symbolic acts that would be more effective than words in shocking heedless sinners into repentance" (338). The minister wishes to be effective among his church members by reminding them of their sinful nature rather than their goodness. He makes himself a sacrifice to illustrate this point. The veil becomes a symbol of sin.

Hooper chooses to wear a veil to hide his face from not only others but himself. We are told from the beginning of the story that the minister wore a veil that surprised everyone of his congregation. He speaks from the pulpit "face-to-face with his congregation, except for the black veil' (Hawthorne 633). "It threw its obscurity between him and the holy page. And while he prayed, the veil lay heavily on his uplifted countenance" (633).

He is noted as being a good preacher but not an "energetic one" (633) in that he wanted to win his congregation to heaven by "mild, persuasive influences rather than to drive them thither by the thunders of the Word" (633). Here we see how Hooper is compelled to win over his congregation softly rather than by the threat of hellfire and brimstone. The veil becomes a symbol of sin that we all bear.

Hooper is not inclined to preach against the sins of man but rather illustrate how we are all borne with a sinful nature and we should ever forget this fact. The veil is a symbol of our sinful nature and sin itself. This symbol works in two ways in that because while Hooper wears the veil to hide himself from others, others are also wearing some sort of facade to keep their real nature hidden from everyone else.

The point is that everyone sins but Hooper is more aware of it and wears a veil to keep his appearance from the others. He knows he is guilty of sin and reacts by hiding his true nature from others in the community. While the veil may be a symbol of sin for Hooper, it is also a symbol of sin for others in the community that might not understand him. However, this is not to say that they should ignore what the veil symbolizes. Robert E.

Morsberger believes that the veil is a symbol of the dark soul of man. Pointing specifically to Hooper, who does not reach out to his fellow brethren. When Hooper exclaims that he sees upon every visage a black veil, it can be no one's fault but his own, according to Morsberger. Morsberger states that in Hooper's "morbid obsession with depravity" (Morsberger 460), he becomes "guilty of something akin to Hawthorne's Unpardonable Sin, except that his preoccupation is more emotion than intellectual" (460).

The minister is just as guilty of "driving away the companionship of his congregation as they are of reacting with ostracism" (461). Morsberger believes the veil symbolizes something a bit more sinister, noting that "man is then only disguise, falsehood, and hypocrisy, both in himself and in regard to others. He does not wish to tell anyone the truth and to this extent, Morsberger contends that "Father Hooper may be right" (Morsberger 463).

In this sense, we can see how Hawthorne is leaving things up to the reader and the congregation to figure out. There is a reason why the minister wears a veil and that reason might not be simple or pleasant. Hooper's message is one that must be interpreted and considered on a very personal basis, which is difficult to do. It is very personal to the minister and to the reader and congregation.

Victor Strandberg believes that Hooper is attempting to make his life a piece of art in which he can justify himself. He is showing himself to the world behind a veil, which causes the world to perceive the worst. Hooper is an artist of truth conveying to the "truth to his fellows at whatever cost to himself by the most effective means he knows" (Strandberg 573). Hooper becomes an artist through his ability a "deliberate isolation from community" (574) and is therefore teaching the truth about humanity.

He chooses to become a work of art, or a teaching tool, for those that are willing to look at him and attempt to figure out what it is that he is saying through his art/wearing of the veil. Hooper hopes that his veil might encourage others to become aware of their own sin and live good lives instead of living behind fake smiles and gestures.

We are told that the veil makes Hooper a "very efficient clergyman" (Hawthorne 638) and it is his desire that people wake up and become aware of their own sin instead of hide behind it. We all fall short and this is the message Hooper is attempting to convey. Hooper realizes his inadequacies and displays this message to the world. As a result, we must assume that the veil is a symbol for all of the sin that man commits throughout a lifetime.

Hooper's wearing of the veil only reinforces this notion. We are all unclean and should be aware of our condition. Hooper believed this and says so on his deathbed when he tells those around him, "On every visage a Black Veil!" (Hawthorne 640) G.A. Santangelo believes that Hawthorne was concerned with a delusional state of innocence in that no one can be innocent.