Sin and Community in Hawthorne's Stories: Part 2

The Minister's Black Veil

In “The Minister’s Black Veil,” Hawthorne shows us a man who bears an outward sign of hidden sin. Hooper dons a veil that represents the man’s hypocritical concealment of his sin from others. Whereas the revelation of hidden sins is destructive for Goodman Brown, the intentional exposure of man’s hypocrisy serves as a didactic tool for Reverend Hooper. However, even this willful confession of sinfulness cuts him off from relationships. As he says to his fiancé Elizabeth, “This dismal shade must separate me from the world: even you, Elizabeth, can never come behind it!” Elizabeth stays loyal to Mr. Hooper to the end of his life, but it is unclear as to whether they actually marry, and she never again sees his face. Although Hooper hopes for the removal of his veil in eternity, he offers no solution to the problem of hiddenness and isolation for the present life, and his participation in community is forever shrouded by the horrific veil upon his face. Men and women look upon him with dismay and children flee him with fright. While looking hopefully heavenward, Hooper neglects to seek sanctification in the present life. Instead, he continues to bear the sign of hypocrisy upon his face. It seems that Hooper, like Goodman Brown, offers no means of sanctification from sin during the present life, and hence loses his ability for unobstructed community with those around him.