"The Minister's Black Veil"

1. By Nathaniel Hawthorne "The Minister's Black Veil"

2. Symbolism: • Symbol: A symbol is something that comes to represent something else while retaining its own meaning, as well. • There are two types of symbols: Universal & Contextual

3. A Universal Symbol is when an object represents something other than itself all of the time (Ex: Flag, Eagle) • A Contextual Symbol is when an object represents something other than itself only in the context of the story

4. Symbolism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” • The obvious symbol in this story is the veil itself . . . The questions is, what does the veil symbolize?

5. Individual Sin • 1. The black veil is symbolic of some specific sin that Reverend Hooper committed • In the epilogue to the story, Hawthorne writes that someone similar to Hooper had “accidentally killed a beloved friend” earlier in life.

6. Original Sin • The black veil is also symbolic of Original Sin, or the idea that humanity has the tendency to transgress against the laws of God. • Hooper says “ . . . And if I cover it for secret sin, what mortal might not do the same?” (261)

7. Life and Death • The veil also comes to symbolize the fine line between life and death. • Only in death does the ‘veil’ come off • Hooper says, “There is an hour to come . . . When all of us shall cast aside our veils.”

8. Excessive Pride? • Some literary critics have argued that the black veil is symbolic of Hooper’s own excessive pride. • He could have worn the veil for a short while and than discarded the veil. • He also could have explained to his parishioners why he was wearing the veil. • Some view the excessive use of the veil as Hooper’s morally superior attitude.

9. “The Minister’s Black Veil as a Parable” • Parable: a parable is a short narrative that draws a moral lesson or illustrates a religious truth. • Unlike an allegory, a parable does not incorporate characters or objects that stand for something else. • If this story is a parable, what moral lesson could be drawn from it?