The Minister's Black Veil

The Minister’s Black Veil is a story of a minister who breaks out of the norm, by suddenly wearing a black veil in a small Puritan town. Reverend Hooper is described as being a gentleman, but when he makes an appearance with the black veil that hangs from his forehead with only his mouth allowed to be seen, people’s views became somewhat different of him. Although still the calm natured preacher he was before the veil, people are frightened by him, and rumors begin that he has become something awful. His sermons become focused on secret sin, sending more rumors flying, but they become much more interesting and people travel from all over to come watch this strange, veiled minister preach.

After service, Hooper performs a funeral service, making it much more daunting than regular funerals. Later, he marries two people and his veil raises the tensions even at a happy event, even frightening himself when he catches his reflection in a wine glass. Groups are formed to ask Reverend Hooper about the veil, but falter when they come face to face with him. His fiancée, Elizabeth, gathers to courage to ask about it, and he tries explaining he may not remove it for the rest of his moral life, in his explanation: “There is an hour to come…when all of us shall cast aside our veils”. Though he begs her not to leave him, she says she cannot live a life with him and leaves, which results in Hooper remaining alone and an outcast in society, though still a predominant clergyman.

The story then sends the reader far into the future, when Hooper is on his deathbed. Reverend Clark, the minister of Westbury is praying at his side, and attempts to remove the veil before Hooper’s death. Reverend Hooper pulls the veil back over his eyes desperately, and is asked what sin he has committed that he does not want his face seen. Instead of discussing his own sins, he discusses how poorly he has been treated and accuses everyone of having secret sins, and dies (and is buried) in his veil.

This story relates to The Crucible in the way that people view those who see things differently. He becomes an outsider to the community when he begins wearing a veil, in the same way that the girls in The Crucible became viewed differently when they claimed to see witchcraft. He becomes convicted, as though there is some sort of sin about him because he is not like the rest of society.