Thoughts on The Minister's Black Veil

"But what has good Parson Hooper got upon his face?" That is the first line spoken in the short story of The Minister's Black Veil. The story was actually quite interesting in my opinion. It took me a little while to actually get into it, but once I did I liked it. The story definitely made me think after I was done reading it as to why he was wearing the veil. There could be many different interpretations as to why he is wearing it, but I think it has to do mainly with his conscience. Although some may disagree, I think that he may have a guilty conscience, otherwise, why would he be talking about hidden sin and having a somewhat disturbing sermon at a girls funeral? That, however, is my opinion. Because, on first reading the story, the minister seems okay. I mean, Hawthorne talks about him to set up the story, which also shows the Romanticism in the period as he is setting up the story in great detail. But, when I got to this part in the story, I was starting to question my opinion of the man:

"Mr. Hooper had the reputation of a good preacher, but not an energetic one: he strove to win his people heavenward by mild, persuasive influences, rather than to drive them thither by the thunders of the Word. The sermon which he now delivered was marked by the same characteristics of style and manner as the general series of his pulpit oratory. But there was something, either in the sentiment of the discourse itself, or in the imagination of the auditors which made it greatly the most powerful effort that they had ever heard from their pastor's lips. It was tinged, rather more darkly than usual, with the gentle gloom of Mr. Hooper's temperament. The subject had reference to secret sin, and those sad mysteries which we hid from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal from our own consciousness, even forgetting that the Omniscient can detect them. A subtle power was breathed into his words. Each member of the congregation, the most innocent girl, and the man of hardened breast, felt as if the preacher had crept upon then, behind his awful veil, and discovered their hoarded iniquity of deed or though. Many spread their clasped hands on their bosoms. There was nothing terrible in what Mr. Hooper said, at least, no violence; and yet, with every tremor of his melancholy voice, the hearers quaked. An unsought pathos came hand in hand with awe. So sensible were the audience of some unwonted attribute in their minister, that they longed for a breath of wind to blow aside the veil, almost believing that a stranger's visage would be discovered, though the for, gesture, and voice were those of Mr. Hooper" (Hawthorne).

That passage right there just screams Romanticism in my opinion. I mean, Hawthorne is saying that the guy clearly is hiding something, and that can never be good. He has a fiance, as we later find out, and she seems okay with his veil and everything, but he is obviously hiding behind it, for whatever reason he might have. I just think that it is clearly part of the Romanticism period, because Hawthorne is talking about how dark and sinister and unnatural the man's sermon is. That is just what I think, however. Hooper clearly has something to hide from everyone, whether he wants to admit to it or not.

• Works Cited:
  Hawthorne, Nathaniel. (1837, 1851). The Minister's Black Veil. Web English Teacher. 30 November, 2010 from http://www.webenglishteacher.com/mbv.html.