“The Minister’s Black Veil” is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne that is set back in the early 18th century, in a small Puritan community. The veil worn by the protagonist Reverend Hooper plays an important role in painting the concept of “secret sin”, meaning the hidden sins individuals carry with them. On one Sunday, Mr. Hooper turns up wearing a black veil - a visible representation of the sins people hide from one another. From then on he never took it off, even until the moment of his death. I believe that the veil in this short story symbolizes secret sin, isolation, and coming judgement, emphasizing the beliefs of Puritan society and the effects it can create on an individual.

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The black veil symbolizes isolation in society, creating a sense of distance and lack of proximity in the community Mr. Hooper lives in. This is evident in the story where one of the observers describes “although the veil only covers his face, it throws its influence over his whole person and makes him ghost-like from head to foot.” Not only is Mr. Hooper’s face obscured and his expressions hidden, people find his thoughts and purpose of body language hard to tell, ultimately affecting his whole physical and emotional shape. By wearing the veil, Mr. Hooper places a hard border between himself and the outside world. His social isolation destroys his relationship with the townpeople and his fiance, Elizabeth. As a result, the veil cuts him off from society and leaves him alone to deal with his own guilt.

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The black veil worn by Mr. Hooper creates a sense of secrecy and ambiguity in his character and the theme of sin and guilt. His covered face causes mystery in the people around him, and even to the extent of supernaturality. It even makes him seem diabolitical. The fact that the veil is black gives a sense of darkness as described in the story, and how it is a “terror and obscurity to behold” relates to the symbol of Mr. Hooper’s own sin and guilt. The nature of the sin is never revealed, leaving the people to imagine what it might be and relating back to the theme of his “hidden secret sin”.

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The concept of “secret sin” is symbolized through the reasons of why Mr. Hooper never takes off the black veil, portraying his inner feelings and his beliefs as part of Puritan society. During the time period the story was set, members of the Puritan society believed that everyone was inherently sinful and infinitely unworthy. By wearing the black veil, Mr. Hooper manifests his beliefs and commits to his own secret sin. This shows us that the purpose of the veil is to overcome the flaws everyone in society has through self-hatred, and to fulfill the obsession with their sins. Behind the veil is a man dripping, not with love, but with self-hatred.

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“The Minister’s Black Veil” is a short story that suggests the qualities, beliefs and actions of Puritan society around the idea of sins, using Mr. Hooper as an atypical example of extremity. The black veil, the major object used to symbolize isolation, mystery and inner thoughts is an acknowledgement of the “secret sin” everyone borns with, and therefore Mr. Hooper wears it for his guilt and shame. It is fortunate that due to the Enlightenment that put emphasis on individualism and personal freedom, the Puritan society diminished and the common belief of being inherently sinful no longer exists in the modern world. However, many people would say that the old puritan mentality still exists in the US today. For example, white people are often said to be inherently racist even if they don't realize it. Racism has taken over the role of sinfulness in the modern era.