"the minister in the black veil"

Amber James


“The minister in the black veil”



Hawthorne is a very talented author and he paints a very clear picture. His stories are interesting to the point where you always want to know what’s going to happen next. The suspense is great. The stories have so much mystery and such dark tones. It gets to the point where u start to feel for the characters and wonder what’s really going on in their heads and the reason why they do everything they do.

For example, in his writing “The Minister’s Black Veil” in the beginning of the story he just talks about this man who walks around with this black veil on his face, who is just so mysterious to everyone. Then he goes on and tells us that this mysterious man is actually a preacher. Something that was never expected, a man wearing a veil which usually represents darkness and death, preaching to and leading others on to “heaven.” This is not an ordinary situation that’s why Hawthorne’s type of writing is so unique.

During most of the story no one knows the preacher’s reason for wearing the veil. The author doesn’t even let the readers know or give any type of hints. So throughout the story it’s like a guessing game and u never know if you’re right or not. The veil is what makes this character so special. He’s such a loving and caring man that no one knows what the veil is needed for his own wife has no type of idea.

The preacher wouldn’t give up that veil for anything. His wife even threatened to leave him and he still didn’t budge. He made a comment that the veil will stay with him for all his mortal life but come off when he goes into eternity. Meaning all the days he is on earth the veil will be on him but once he dies he will no longer need it and he can be free from it. When he tries to explain the significance of the veil to his wife he even speaks of it in a mysterious way not giving her a clear answer.

It was not until towards the ending of the story where the audience finds out the real reason for the veil. The veil was only a symbol. In a sense everyone was wearing a black veil but only his was visible. He talks about how everyone made him seem like a freak and someone to be afraid of when in actuality he was just the same as them only he showed his in an alternative way.