The Essence of Symbolism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” (Essay Sample)

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The Essence of Symbolism in “The Minister’s Black Veil”
Oliver Curtis presents a theme of symbolism in “The Minister’s Black Veil” in a great proportion. How comes one piece of cloth manages to influence and alter the stretch of a man’s life? In fact, a perfect representation of this short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” was first penned down by Nathaniel Hawthorne and the story is to a larger extent concerned with a minister who wears a black veil, something that causes great conflict with the people around him. It is worth noting that symbolism plays a very critical role in the development of the story, the fact that causes a great influence on the other elements in “The Minister’s Black Veil” and most importantly, it enhances the message being conveyed.
All problems presented in “The Minister’s Black Veil” are a direct result of the major character by the name Parson Hooper who used to don the veil. For instance, Parson’s fiancée requests him to have the veil lifted; however, Parson Hooper’s refusal causes her to leave him. This scenario presents the extent to which the veil is directly to be blamed for having caused the disagreement between the two. Even though external conflict is rampant in this story, it is important to point out that symbolism also causes a great influence on the internal conflict. From the story, Hooper said, “[He] maybe, like other mortals, [has] sufficient grief to be typified by a black veil” (Hawthorne, 307). Parson Hooper’s constant use of the veil through the representation of his grief is a doubtless symbol of his struggles against his internal conflict, in the form of remorse from the past sins he committed. The general enmity of the entire population towards Parson Hooper and his guilty conscience for his past mistakes are primarily the foundation of his current problems, however, he has not stopped wearing the veil, and he dons it as a way of expressing his idea.
The essence of symbolism is also presented in the conveyance of the main theme of “The Minister’s Black Veil”; the hidden sin. It is therefore this point that Parson Hooper partakes to make when he donned the veil for the first time. On his death-bed, he remarks that he ought to be considered a monster for having donned the veil when man has no reason to hide his mistakes. It is therefore through this remark that Parson Hooper reveals the true meaning of the cloth that he dons; symbolically, this is a representation of the evil deeds that men have been hiding deep inside so that the visible world may not recognize. In support of Sarah Wright’s statement when she says, “The veil...becomes a symbol of the passion for concealment which afflicts all humans to a greater or lesser degree” (Wright, 167). With these words that were last spoken Parson Hooper puts more emphasis that everybody must be having some sort of sin that is kept secret. Hooper says, “[He looks] around [him] and lo! On every visage a black veil” (Hawthorne, 307). Doubtlessly, this was Hooper’s legacy to make it