This short story is an allegory that explores themes of sin and guilt. The main character, Reverend Hooper, a respected minister, suddenly begins wearing a black veil over his face. The veil strikes fear and confusion in the Puritan community. On his deathbed, Hooper explains that the veil symbolizes the secret sins that all people share, though hidden. The veil remains on Hooper even after death, leaving its symbolic meaning unresolved.

1. “The Minister’s Black Veil”
by Nathaniel Hawthorne

2. Are you afraid of masks?

3. Is it the mask that you fear…

4. …or what the mask hides?

5. Focus:
“Shadows of the Imagination”
This story takes place in a gloomy world
inhabited by people haunted by guilt. What
role does imagination play in the story? Are
the people in the story victims of their own
imaginations?

6. Allegory
 A work of literature in
which events characters,
and detail of setting have
a symbolic meaning.
 A character in an allegory
may personify a single
human trait.
 Story is intended to be
read on two levels
 Literal
 Figurative
 A relatively short story
that teaches a moral or
lesson about how to lead
a good life
 Appear mostly in the
Bible (told by Jesus)
Parable

7. Techniques
Symbolism- The black veil symbolizes all of the Puritan
superstitions. It represents all the evil and troubles in
the world. To Puritans it was seen as a symbol of the
devil. It was also seen as all that is unknown in the
world; a mystery to the people.
Rhetorical Question- Hawthorne uses this to further
emphasis his point. In the story he wants to show
Hooper as a man who can not bear to go without the
veil, "Could Mr. Hooper be fearful of her glance, that he
so hastily caught back the black veil?" In this quote it
shows that he is afraid that even a dead person will see
his face.

8. Techniques
Personification- This is another technique used to give
the veil human-like qualities. It makes the veil almost
have a personality which strengthens the mystery and
fear of the veil, "It shook with his measured breath, as
he gave out the psalm; it threw its obscurity between
him and the holy page" (pg. 338). The veil obviously
could not physically throw something, but it enriches
Hawthorne’s language.
Irony- This technique is shown throughout this short
story by the man wearing the black veil. It is ironic how
people think that because he is wearing a veil that he
has something to hide, and he does. Also, during the
short story, it seems to building up to a big revealing of
his secret, but instead nothing is ever revealed, and his
secret will stay a secret forever.

9. Vocabulary
 Venerable – commanding
respect
 Iniquity – sin
 Indecorous – improper
 Ostentatious – intended to
attract notice
 Sagacious – shrewd
 Vagary – unpredictable
occurrence
 Tremulous – characterized by
trembling
 Waggery – mischievous humor
 Impertinent – not showing
proper respect
 Obstinacy - stubbornness
 Semblance – outward
appearance
 Obscurity – darkness
 Portend – signify
 Pensively – thinking deeply or
seriously
 Antipathy – strong dislike
 Plausibility – believability
 Resolute - determined

10. Summary:
In this allegory, Parson Hooper, a highly
respected minister in a small Puritan community,
suddenly appears wearing a black veil. The veil
has such a powerful, gloomy effect on his
parishioners; they are stunned, so much so that
they cannot ask him directly why he wears it.
Even his fiancée turns from him. The veil’s
symbolic meaning – secret sin – is revealed
through the remarks and actions of Hooper’s
parishioners and in his own deathbed
explanation. Make note of the symbols and the
meanings implied in this parable.

11. Reverend Hooper
(The Minister)—
A very calm and quite
unremarkable minister in the small
town, he suddenly and without
explanation begins to wear a black
veil that covers his eyes and nose.
This is not met with acceptance in
the strictly Puritan community and
the townspeople grow frightened
of this man they used to trust. His
reasons are obscure throughout
most of the story and he is a
mysterious character both to the
reader and the other characters.
In general, however, he seems to
feel that the veil symbolizes sin
and he reminds others that they
too are wearing a veil of sorts. He
dies without allowing anyone to
remove the veil and is buried
wearing it.

12. Elizabeth
She was Reverend Hooper’s
fiancée until he refused to
take the veil off in her
presence. She was the only
one in the town who was not
afraid of him but could not
take the fact that he wouldn’t
allow her to see his face ever
again, especially since she
does not fully understand his
reasoning. She disappears
throughout most of the story
after she leaves him but is
shown again at the end as
being an attendant at his
deathbed.

13. Reverend Clark
Reverend Clark is a
young minister from
Westbury who comes to
Reverend Hooper’s
deathbed to pray for
him. He encourages
Hooper to take off the
veil before he is interred
in the ground but
Hooper shocks him (and
everyone else present)
with his strength as he
refuses to have the veil
taken off.

14. The Townspeople
The people of the town are
highly religious and are very
nervous about the change in
their normally quiet and
unassuming minister, Reverend
Hooper. They are not accepting
of change and act with
superstition about the black
veil, claiming to witness
supernatural events revolving
around Hooper. Being fearful
of God, however, they put
even more stock into Hooper
after his transformation and
both revere and shun him
simultaneously. The only
person in town who does not
appear to behave in such a
way is Elizabeth.