I think the black veil represented all sins. The minister wanted to live in kind of a shadow on earth so heaven would be that much better. It also helped make him a more powerful preacher, which lead more people to the church.
I was just wondering what people think about the black veil and how it changes people's attitudes towards Mr. Hooper. As they said in the circle, one day he was Mr. Hooper and the next day he was Mr. Hooper with a black veil and dark secret...
I think the black veil represents shame or guilt. Maybe he did actually kill someone and he is ashamed of it. I think he is wearing the veil to mask his face from God because he does wear it all the time and at church;God sees everything so perhaps he is ashamed of who he is or what he has done.
I agree with Bridget that he would wear the veil because of all of his sins put together but I also think that he was trying to teach the town a lesson because he showed up in church on a Sunday which was an important day for the town however I don't know exactly what lesson he was trying to teach.
I agree with Bridget that there is always sin and that this was something to show his regret for sin and because there was no known reason for why he was wearing it, it may have been a reminder of some sort. Not only a reminder for him but also for the people of the town. But also if it had meaning of importance wouldnt he tell the people and explain what he wanted from it? Like when his wife asked him to take it off he wouldnt and said he couldnt.
To answer Mortiz's question, I think that it just happened one day because in the beginning the story made it sound like he just showed up one day to serive with the veil on. I think this was after something hit him hard on the inside one day and this happened to him.
He showed up with the veil on the Sabbath Day. I think that Mr. Hooper was trying to make a point to people. Everyone carries sin(s), but usually you can't tell what they are. People are able to mask them. In Mr. Hooper's case, I believe he was showing that everyone masks and hides their sin, however, when you physically wear something to demonstrate that sin, it is suddenly in the open and noticeable. This draws more attention to it.
"Have patience with me, Elizabeth!" cried he, passionately. "Do not desert me, though this veil must be between us here on earth. Be mine, and hereafter there shall be no veil over my face, no darkness between our souls! It is but a mortal veil--it is not for eternity! O! you know not how lonely I am, and how frightened, to be alone behind my black veil. Do not leave me in this miserable obscurity forever!"
If he marries Elizabeth, he will take off his veil?
I think he wore the veil to show how nobody is perfect and people needed to realize that. The people of the town got into a groove that may have been heading in the wrong direction, and the pastor wanted to help redirect them.
I don't think he was doing out of shame. He did something he's not too proud of and he's covering his face to show people he has done something. It's almost like he's suffering the consequences by hiding his face from people but not from God. He's blocking his face from people but he was facing God by doing this. I guess he saw it as his penance. He did something and he's making up for it in a sense
I don't really understand why Elizabeth leaves him? Is it because he won't take off the black veil or is he is hiding something and she is offended that he won't tell her? Maybe she is embarrased of being with a kind of social outcast?
I think The veil over Mr. hooper represented sin and it was his own way of hiding from God and being ashamed of his sin. I think he did kill someone or else why would he keep the veil on???
The blsck vail is sin. He put it on because he was hinding from the judgful eye of god. I Agree with bridget when she said the minister is not like other sinners that would say hello i am a sinner. I think he was hiding behind the vail and not egnoliging his wrong doinings.
Josh: I think he is asking Elizabeth to stay with him through everything. By wearing the black veil, he brought a separation between not only himself and the people of the town, but himself and Elizabeth. Yes, he loves her, but if she understands and truly loves him, she will stand by him despite the veil and all the "problems" it is causing. He needs her to trust him.
Did he really sin? Cause at the end of the story it says that accidentally killed a beloved friend. He did not really sin because his actions were not purposeful to kill him. What are these sins?
He showed up with the veil on a Sunday which is a day to worship the Lord. Sunday is a day you come to know you sins and you may have them forgiven during a mass. I dont know exactly what significance this may have had but as it was a Sunday, a day of worship it may have meant more than any ordinary day.
i agree with what ashley said, I think that the minister was using the veil to represent that he had sin, and that even though he was a minister he was not perfect, and that they shouldnt think of him as perfect because he is not God.
I also wondered why he didnt take off the veil but again I feel like he was trying to show the town something. But he should have explained why he was wearing it and why he wouldnt take it off but instead he left it and lost somethings and relationships he had in his life. But instead he let the veil take him over and he lived day by day hiding under the darkness of the black veil.
I think that The Minister didn't take it off because he was really trying to teach the town a lesson about sin maybe or about judging because he says on the last page, "Why do you tremble at me alone? Tremble also at each other! Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for my black veil?" I think that by saying this he is saying that we are more willing to judge others than actually look at themselves.
I agree with the people that believe everybody should have a black veil, even if it isnt physically over your face. Everybody sins and you should never forget them, even if you can be forgiven
Shelby: I think Elizabeth leaves him because she just doesn't understand what he is doing. I guess in a sense, she is hurt that he won't even lift the veil for her. He won't let her in to see his ideas and purposes behind the veil. This obviously will cause distance as he said when he asked her to stay. With the whole town talking and rumors spreading all over, it was probably too much for Elizabeth. Did she come back in the end when he was dying though? I was confused at that part...
Alee, I agree with what you say, but in that same quote it says: "Be mine, and hereafter there shall be no veil over my face." I kinda think that this may be marriage.
The minister was trying to make a point by wearing the veil...EVERYONE SINS and everyone has secrets. Mr. Hooper is not ashamed that he has sin because each human being was born with innate sin. He wanted the puritan town to aknowledge sin.
Shelby: To answer your question I think you just have to look at relationships. Today you look around and couples break up all the time because they don't talk and they will not share what is going on on the inside. You have to be willing to show your true color, and she wanted to see him after she fell in love with him. She wanted to see everything he was hiding and he didn't.
I agree with the with what was said earlier in the discussion. It was said that the veil is a metaphor for something else - everyone has a veil and the veil is a symbol for previous wrongdoings.
a Quote to support what Julia was saying him taking on the sin of the town and it might be his demise" He raised himself in bed; and there he sat, shivering with the arms of death around him, while the black veil hung down, awful at the las moment." =)
I agree with rachael, because it does show special significance that he wore the veil on a Sunday. And as Devin said, because there are more and more sins, that may be why he wore the veil so he couldn't be read. He was ashamed.
Josh: That is definitely possible. I think it can be interpreted in a few ways. Mrs. Moritz just said that Elizabeth was promised to him, so I agree with you that marriage was in the future. I also think that in that quote, he was saying that after death, he won't have sin any longer and they can be together then without the veil and issues it causes. I think he really does love Elizabeth and hopes that that will continue after they die.
Is there a chance that he is covering his face, not as a metaphor for the good of the community, but for something that he did? What do you suppose that could be?
Ok, why does the veil have to represent sin?? Where does the story talk about sin? Why can't the veil represent something else other than sin, i.e. sorrow?
But I have to agree that kasey's and rachel's points are valid.
I think thats why they have the veil because it shows them how they shouldn't just forget that they should take there experance and learn from it. do you think that he is trying to teach people not to judge him by his cover?
Why do you think that Mr. Hooper wore the veil through the very end and didn't even take it off when his life was over? And why do you think he didn't actually tell the town in the end why he was wearing the veil?
I agree with Kelly-- everyone sins and whether they know it or are aware of it, everyone does. He is trying to make a point by it and also probably if the people see that the minister sins then they may feel its better to the recognize what their sins are rather than completely ignoring them.
Mr. Hooper shouuld have expected the questioning judgmental thoughts and comments from the puritan town because he didntell anyone why he was wearing that and wouldnt take it off and that would be a weird sight in everyday puritan life.
I think maybe he did something that had to do with his emotions so he's covering his face up from now on. I think he doesn't exactly know how to express his emotions towards her so he stopped showing it through his face as a whole. Maybe he only showed bad emotions or feelings towards her before and took everything out on her so I think he started to wear it to have a deeper connection with her. By wearing the veil you can't really see his emotions he's blocking them out from the public the only thing he shows is his eyes and maybe he wants to start speaking through his eyes and showing emotions and feeling without having to say anything
I don't think he is trying to hide anything or show that he is like the people because he sins too. Those are possibilities but I think he is just trying to show people that we judge eachother way too hard and that people are the same as they were before they did something bad, but we don't allow them to hold the same place in society.
hasn't Elizabeth seen him without the veil before?
Whatever the reason for putting on the black veil must be really serious and he seems really commited to it. I'm surprised he was willing to sacrifice Elizabeth leaving him. Maybe in the end it will be bettter for the both of them. Do you think that maybe he has to wear the black veil in order for good to come out of it?
For Mrs. Moritz... I think that there probably was some event that caused him to wear the veil, but at the same time I feel like he was really trying to show the community something. I think that he wanted them to realize that we all wear a black veil of sin and, as Julia said, he chose to "materialize" it so people would actually acknowledge it and think about it. If they see their minister wearing a black veil of sin, what does that say about the rest of them? They look up to him for leadership and guidance socially and spiritually. When a figure that significant demonstrates something as serious as sin, they are bound to analyze their lives. I just feel like he wanted to show that no one is perfect and that we all sin.
To tell you the truth I don't think the veil is him "showing that he is a sinner and everytone sins." Yes it is a sin but is there not a bigger thing behind it? Like shame? Or was he trying to see if people would get to know him for himself. Personally I think the veil represents something more than this "sin". I agree with Josh in the way that the killing was an ACCIDENT and so it really is not a sin!
What i was getting from it was he put the vail on, i felt it was like he was taking on eveones sin, and when the man was taking it off i feel like he was preventing him from doing that because he didnt want that man to take on the burden he was holiding.
I actually think that the Minister has the veil for a reason other than the good of the community. He is a Minister, not a random person. He probably wanted to talk to somebody and get help because he cannot be his own help.
I found something really weird. When he wore the veil during the sermon, everyone thought that he was weird and didn't respect him. When he wore it during the funeral, people thought that it was appropriate, but he also allowed the veil to fall enough to see the dead girl's face. And during the wedding when he wore it, the people thought he was creepy and then he ran away. What is the significance.
I think the veil signifies that he's done sinning towards others. By not showing his face people couldn't see his emotions so he couldn't offend them. He became ghost-like and emotionless to others. The only thing it caused was curiosity and it gave him a myseterious sense but he wasn't doing any wrong to anyone
Deirdre: I think that there is more meaning and purpose behind the veil than just sin. I believe the veil does show sin, not necessarily just his own, but that of humanity. With that in mind, there are many things that seem to come with sin, ie: shame, embarrassment, guilt...I feel like the veil also represents these feelings and all the effects of sin that come about. By representing one thing, it in turn represents multiple other things that chain together with that original topic.
Mrs. Moritz: The day he started wearing the veil, that young woman was put to rest. He went to her funeral. I wondered while I was reading if there was something more between them. There wasn't too much to indicate that there was other than his actions. But actions speak louder than words...
I believe that maybe the minister was wearing the black veil, for both reasons: to make the people of the town think of their sins, and also to hide, and let it be known that he had sinned, I am still interested in what sin triggered it, or if he just thought about all of his sins.
Maybe God gave the minister some divine power that allowed him to help to heaven, for example, when the minister walks out of the room with the ghost of the girl that died.
Now that we have come to this realization, I think he was wearing the veil for his good because it was a big sin and living with that everyday, now with the black veil he has to come to realize that one sin everyday of his life. This balck veil comes as a reminder of all sin, mainly that of what he has with the other woman. This then leads to the fact that he couldnt take it off for Elizabeth but what was he afraid of? Why couldnt he? What would she have known?
I think that he's feelind bad about what heppened. Sense he loved another lady in the town and was promised to another he is feeling guilty for what he had done.
I think maybe he is doing something that people aren't. (maybe)Showing that he has sinned. It's like sticking a post-it on your forehead about what you are thinking about, it's there for everyone to see. I think he has a lot of courage and strength to wear the veil. He is basically a social outcast, and no mater what he goes through or what he loses he still kept it on. Maybe he needs to keep the veil on so he is able to finally pass on and be "pure" in a sense.
Rachael: I think that by taking off the veil, he would have acknowledged his love for the other woman. I think that he does feel something for Elizabeth, but that he is afraid of hurting her and showing her his feelings. He is showing these things indirectly with the veil. Taking it off will show it even more with the risk of hurting Elizabeth.
In an answer to rachael's question, I think that he didn't want to take the veil off for Elizabeth because he didn't want her to see him for what he really was and maybe wanted to hide the sin of what he did with the girl who died.
With this new enlightenment form mrs. Moritz i think that the veil was remeberance, sin, and dispaire. Despaire with his current wife that they will be living with the between them forver.. Sin because he had an affair with this young woman. and most of all remeberance of his mistress. I think it is remeberance the most because i dont think he wanted to forget her orelse he wouldnt have kept it on. Much like players wear anumber in rememberance of a dead family memeber i think he was most wearing the vail to cinvey these three things.
I highly respect minister Hooper because he stuck to his beliefs and wanted to make a difference in the town and that he achieved. Hooper is a strong individual and he was willing to loose it all, even elizabeth, in order to stand firm in his faith.
I don't think a Martyr is the best way to describe the Minister. He used the veil for more of a personal reasoning. A martyr takes action for the good of his or her people,the Minister just changed his physical features for a symbolic reson.
I don't think you need to see his face to realize the effect he is trying to put on the town. I think he just wants to make the town rethink the way they live and maybe be more forgiving.
I agree with Alie with the fact that his heart belonged to another woman, and he was trying to hide his feelings from everyone and he didn't want to hurt Elizabeth. Love is an important thing and the worse thing to do is hurt someone who really cares for you and you know maybe one day you can love the other person then yourself. One day I think Mr. Hooper could have loved Elizabeth with his whole heart but right now he needed to get over the first women first.
He wanted things to stop after the girl's death he wanted to end everything there. The best way to do that to him was by covering up his face and holding to that moment until he could join her in the afterlife
I think that there is a recurring theme for the romantic period between The Fall of the House of Usher and The Minister's Black Veil. The period seemed to write a lot about a fear of the unknown. In the House of Usher, Rederick and the narrator had a fear of now knowing what was to come. In this story, the community feared Mr. Hooper with the black veil because they didn't know what it meant or what was under it. The fear of knowing that you don't know something seemed to be a common theme. It still applies to today as well. It's seems to be a part of human nature. Whatever we don't know, we automatically are worried about.
A martyr is someone who dies for what they believe and dies for their faith, he did not die for his faith. As Colton said that he wore the veil for personal reasoning and sin rather than faith.
I definitely agree with Colton that he is not really a martyr because I don't think that he necessarily die for his faith, he thought he was covered in sin and ended up dying with the veil still on his face.
I find it incredible that Rev. Hooper was able to wear that black veil for so long. On that first day he wore it, that Sunday Sabbath, he was thirty, and he wore it until he died...it is likely that was for at least 20 to 30 years, at least!!!
Why would he do that? I'm not totally sure. At the bottom of the reading on the website there was a note that basically said Rev. Hooper did not wear the veil for the same reasons as another man who wore it as a symbol of his sin...I felt like this was extremely confusing! As I read through the story again, and then the blogs, I had difficulty thinking about what else that veil could represent. So for now I will project that it reprents sin, but more specifically, secret sin. It seems to me that instead of having a nice outer appearance while keeping a sinful inner heart/mind, Rev. Hooper decided to have the opposite. He placed a black veil right over his eyes, the "windows" to his heart and soul. This way he could focus LESS on hiding all that evil and focus MORE on becoming more pure/holy. Hmm...the story told how his sermons became pretty powerful after he started wearing the veil...it definitely made a statement, but beyond that, it may have been because Rev. Hooper could speak directly from his heart in its full potential. He didn't have to worry about hiding his sins anymore because they were displayed right on his face. People could listen to his words and look at the veil...and THINK. Wonder about the applications of his words and their applications to his veil, to his life, to their lives, etc. The part of this story that really struck me was the part where Rev. Hooper described how everyone else seemed to be wearing a black veil! It really made me think. Rev. Hooper's veil helped him to see who was truly accepting and loyal of his raw self. Apparently Elizabeth wasn't, or she wouldn't have deserted him. The rest of the town didn't seem to be either, always distancing themselves in suspicion.
I think that the black veil represents the unknown, and in general people are normally afraid of the unknown therefor they are afraid of Mr. Hooper. I think the reason he wears the veil is because it is a sign of sorrow and it gives him more power while people are confessing their sins. Although he wore it by choice i think he wishes he could take it off because in the text it says. "that he never willingly passed before a mirror, nor stooped to drink at a still fountain." Overall i think that the veil shows that people judge each other to easily just because of one thing. Mr. Hooper was trying to show that even with something as mysterious as a black veil you can still be as normal as everyone else.
77 comments:
I think the black veil represented all sins. The minister wanted to live in kind of a shadow on earth so heaven would be that much better. It also helped make him a more powerful preacher, which lead more people to the church.
Did he just really show up one day with the veil, or was it a specific day??
I was just wondering what people think about the black veil and how it changes people's attitudes towards Mr. Hooper. As they said in the circle, one day he was Mr. Hooper and the next day he was Mr. Hooper with a black veil and dark secret...
What happened that day?????
So is the black veil his own way of showing people that he has done something wrong?
I think the black veil represents shame or guilt. Maybe he did actually kill someone and he is ashamed of it. I think he is wearing the veil to mask his face from God because he does wear it all the time and at church;God sees everything so perhaps he is ashamed of who he is or what he has done.
I agree with Bridget that he would wear the veil because of all of his sins put together but I also think that he was trying to teach the town a lesson because he showed up in church on a Sunday which was an important day for the town however I don't know exactly what lesson he was trying to teach.
Did you read the story?
I agree with Bridget that there is always sin and that this was something to show his regret for sin and because there was no known reason for why he was wearing it, it may have been a reminder of some sort. Not only a reminder for him but also for the people of the town. But also if it had meaning of importance wouldnt he tell the people and explain what he wanted from it? Like when his wife asked him to take it off he wouldnt and said he couldnt.
To answer Mortiz's question, I think that it just happened one day because in the beginning the story made it sound like he just showed up one day to serive with the veil on. I think this was after something hit him hard on the inside one day and this happened to him.
He showed up with the veil on the Sabbath Day. I think that Mr. Hooper was trying to make a point to people. Everyone carries sin(s), but usually you can't tell what they are. People are able to mask them. In Mr. Hooper's case, I believe he was showing that everyone masks and hides their sin, however, when you physically wear something to demonstrate that sin, it is suddenly in the open and noticeable. This draws more attention to it.
If he is so guilty, then why does he say this?
"Have patience with me, Elizabeth!" cried he, passionately. "Do not desert me, though this veil must be between us here on earth. Be mine, and hereafter there shall be no veil over my face, no darkness between our souls! It is but a mortal veil--it is not for eternity! O! you know not how lonely I am, and how frightened, to be alone behind my black veil. Do not leave me in this miserable obscurity forever!"
If he marries Elizabeth, he will take off his veil?
I think he wore the veil to show how nobody is perfect and people needed to realize that. The people of the town got into a groove that may have been heading in the wrong direction, and the pastor wanted to help redirect them.
I don't think he was doing out of shame. He did something he's not too proud of and he's covering his face to show people he has done something. It's almost like he's suffering the consequences by hiding his face from people but not from God. He's blocking his face from people but he was facing God by doing this. I guess he saw it as his penance. He did something and he's making up for it in a sense
I don't really understand why Elizabeth leaves him? Is it because he won't take off the black veil or is he is hiding something and she is offended that he won't tell her? Maybe she is embarrased of being with a kind of social outcast?
I think that when they knew he'd done something and he wasn't proud that he had done it but he was showing people that even he isn't perfect.
I think The veil over Mr. hooper represented sin and it was his own way of hiding from God and being ashamed of his sin. I think he did kill someone or else why would he keep the veil on???
The blsck vail is sin. He put it on because he was hinding from the judgful eye of god. I Agree with bridget when she said the minister is not like other sinners that would say hello i am a sinner. I think he was hiding behind the vail and not egnoliging his wrong doinings.
Josh: I think he is asking Elizabeth to stay with him through everything. By wearing the black veil, he brought a separation between not only himself and the people of the town, but himself and Elizabeth. Yes, he loves her, but if she understands and truly loves him, she will stand by him despite the veil and all the "problems" it is causing. He needs her to trust him.
Did he really sin? Cause at the end of the story it says that accidentally killed a beloved friend. He did not really sin because his actions were not purposeful to kill him. What are these sins?
Enrique--What do you think he did? Why wouldn't he show the woman he was promised to-his face???
He showed up with the veil on a Sunday which is a day to worship the Lord. Sunday is a day you come to know you sins and you may have them forgiven during a mass. I dont know exactly what significance this may have had but as it was a Sunday, a day of worship it may have meant more than any ordinary day.
i agree with what ashley said, I think that the minister was using the veil to represent that he had sin, and that even though he was a minister he was not perfect, and that they shouldnt think of him as perfect because he is not God.
I also wondered why he didnt take off the veil but again I feel like he was trying to show the town something. But he should have explained why he was wearing it and why he wouldnt take it off but instead he left it and lost somethings and relationships he had in his life. But instead he let the veil take him over and he lived day by day hiding under the darkness of the black veil.
I think that The Minister didn't take it off because he was really trying to teach the town a lesson about sin maybe or about judging because he says on the last page, "Why do you tremble at me alone? Tremble also at each other! Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for my black veil?" I think that by saying this he is saying that we are more willing to judge others than actually look at themselves.
I agree with the people that believe everybody should have a black veil, even if it isnt physically over your face. Everybody sins and you should never forget them, even if you can be forgiven
Shelby: I think Elizabeth leaves him because she just doesn't understand what he is doing. I guess in a sense, she is hurt that he won't even lift the veil for her. He won't let her in to see his ideas and purposes behind the veil. This obviously will cause distance as he said when he asked her to stay. With the whole town talking and rumors spreading all over, it was probably too much for Elizabeth. Did she come back in the end when he was dying though? I was confused at that part...
Alee, I agree with what you say, but in that same quote it says: "Be mine, and hereafter there shall be no veil over my face." I kinda think that this may be marriage.
The minister was trying to make a point by wearing the veil...EVERYONE SINS and everyone has secrets. Mr. Hooper is not ashamed that he has sin because each human being was born with innate sin. He wanted the puritan town to aknowledge sin.
Shelby: To answer your question I think you just have to look at relationships. Today you look around and couples break up all the time because they don't talk and they will not share what is going on on the inside. You have to be willing to show your true color, and she wanted to see him after she fell in love with him. She wanted to see everything he was hiding and he didn't.
I agree with the with what was said earlier in the discussion. It was said that the veil is a metaphor for something else - everyone has a veil and the veil is a symbol for previous wrongdoings.
a Quote to support what Julia was saying him taking on the sin of the town and it might be his demise" He raised himself in bed; and there he sat, shivering with the arms of death around him, while the black veil hung down, awful at the las moment." =)
I agree with rachael, because it does show special significance that he wore the veil on a Sunday. And as Devin said, because there are more and more sins, that may be why he wore the veil so he couldn't be read. He was ashamed.
Josh: That is definitely possible. I think it can be interpreted in a few ways. Mrs. Moritz just said that Elizabeth was promised to him, so I agree with you that marriage was in the future. I also think that in that quote, he was saying that after death, he won't have sin any longer and they can be together then without the veil and issues it causes. I think he really does love Elizabeth and hopes that that will continue after they die.
Is there a chance that he is covering his face, not as a metaphor for the good of the community, but for something that he did? What do you suppose that could be?
Bridget made a great point. Acknowledging and analyzing your sins is better than just trying to forget them.
Ok, why does the veil have to represent sin?? Where does the story talk about sin? Why can't the veil represent something else other than sin, i.e. sorrow?
But I have to agree that kasey's and rachel's points are valid.
I think thats why they have the veil because it shows them how they shouldn't just forget that they should take there experance and learn from it. do you think that he is trying to teach people not to judge him by his cover?
Why do you think that Mr. Hooper wore the veil through the very end and didn't even take it off when his life was over? And why do you think he didn't actually tell the town in the end why he was wearing the veil?
I agree with Kelly-- everyone sins and whether they know it or are aware of it, everyone does. He is trying to make a point by it and also probably if the people see that the minister sins then they may feel its better to the recognize what their sins are rather than completely ignoring them.
Mr. Hooper shouuld have expected the questioning judgmental thoughts and comments from the puritan town because he didntell anyone why he was wearing that and wouldnt take it off and that would be a weird sight in everyday puritan life.
I think maybe he did something that had to do with his emotions so he's covering his face up from now on. I think he doesn't exactly know how to express his emotions towards her so he stopped showing it through his face as a whole. Maybe he only showed bad emotions or feelings towards her before and took everything out on her so I think he started to wear it to have a deeper connection with her. By wearing the veil you can't really see his emotions he's blocking them out from the public the only thing he shows is his eyes and maybe he wants to start speaking through his eyes and showing emotions and feeling without having to say anything
I don't think he is trying to hide anything or show that he is like the people because he sins too. Those are possibilities but I think he is just trying to show people that we judge eachother way too hard and that people are the same as they were before they did something bad, but we don't allow them to hold the same place in society.
hasn't Elizabeth seen him without the veil before?
Whatever the reason for putting on the black veil must be really serious and he seems really commited to it. I'm surprised he was willing to sacrifice Elizabeth leaving him. Maybe in the end it will be bettter for the both of them. Do you think that maybe he has to wear the black veil in order for good to come out of it?
For Mrs. Moritz...
I think that there probably was some event that caused him to wear the veil, but at the same time I feel like he was really trying to show the community something. I think that he wanted them to realize that we all wear a black veil of sin and, as Julia said, he chose to "materialize" it so people would actually acknowledge it and think about it. If they see their minister wearing a black veil of sin, what does that say about the rest of them? They look up to him for leadership and guidance socially and spiritually. When a figure that significant demonstrates something as serious as sin, they are bound to analyze their lives. I just feel like he wanted to show that no one is perfect and that we all sin.
To tell you the truth I don't think the veil is him "showing that he is a sinner and everytone sins." Yes it is a sin but is there not a bigger thing behind it? Like shame? Or was he trying to see if people would get to know him for himself. Personally I think the veil represents something more than this "sin". I agree with Josh in the way that the killing was an ACCIDENT and so it really is not a sin!
What i was getting from it was he put the vail on, i felt it was like he was taking on eveones sin, and when the man was taking it off i feel like he was preventing him from doing that because he didnt want that man to take on the burden he was holiding.
There is a BIG thing were missing that happened the day he started to wear the veil...what is that???????????????????
I actually think that the Minister has the veil for a reason other than the good of the community. He is a Minister, not a random person. He probably wanted to talk to somebody and get help because he cannot be his own help.
I found something really weird. When he wore the veil during the sermon, everyone thought that he was weird and didn't respect him. When he wore it during the funeral, people thought that it was appropriate, but he also allowed the veil to fall enough to see the dead girl's face. And during the wedding when he wore it, the people thought he was creepy and then he ran away. What is the significance.
I think the veil signifies that he's done sinning towards others. By not showing his face people couldn't see his emotions so he couldn't offend them. He became ghost-like and emotionless to others. The only thing it caused was curiosity and it gave him a myseterious sense but he wasn't doing any wrong to anyone
Deirdre: I think that there is more meaning and purpose behind the veil than just sin. I believe the veil does show sin, not necessarily just his own, but that of humanity. With that in mind, there are many things that seem to come with sin, ie: shame, embarrassment, guilt...I feel like the veil also represents these feelings and all the effects of sin that come about. By representing one thing, it in turn represents multiple other things that chain together with that original topic.
Mrs. Moritz: The day he started wearing the veil, that young woman was put to rest. He went to her funeral. I wondered while I was reading if there was something more between them. There wasn't too much to indicate that there was other than his actions. But actions speak louder than words...
I believe that maybe the minister was wearing the black veil, for both reasons: to make the people of the town think of their sins, and also to hide, and let it be known that he had sinned, I am still interested in what sin triggered it, or if he just thought about all of his sins.
Maybe God gave the minister some divine power that allowed him to help to heaven, for example, when the minister walks out of the room with the ghost of the girl that died.
is his he wearing the veil to prove something to the town and not just covering up his sins but maby covering up everyone elses sins.
Now that we have come to this realization, I think he was wearing the veil for his good because it was a big sin and living with that everyday, now with the black veil he has to come to realize that one sin everyday of his life. This balck veil comes as a reminder of all sin, mainly that of what he has with the other woman. This then leads to the fact that he couldnt take it off for Elizabeth but what was he afraid of? Why couldnt he? What would she have known?
I think that he's feelind bad about what heppened. Sense he loved another lady in the town and was promised to another he is feeling guilty for what he had done.
I think maybe he is doing something that people aren't. (maybe)Showing that he has sinned. It's like sticking a post-it on your forehead about what you are thinking about, it's there for everyone to see. I think he has a lot of courage and strength to wear the veil. He is basically a social outcast, and no mater what he goes through or what he loses he still kept it on. Maybe he needs to keep the veil on so he is able to finally pass on and be "pure" in a sense.
Rachael: I think that by taking off the veil, he would have acknowledged his love for the other woman. I think that he does feel something for Elizabeth, but that he is afraid of hurting her and showing her his feelings. He is showing these things indirectly with the veil. Taking it off will show it even more with the risk of hurting Elizabeth.
In an answer to rachael's question, I think that he didn't want to take the veil off for Elizabeth because he didn't want her to see him for what he really was and maybe wanted to hide the sin of what he did with the girl who died.
With this new enlightenment form mrs. Moritz i think that the veil was remeberance, sin, and dispaire. Despaire with his current wife that they will be living with the between them forver.. Sin because he had an affair with this young woman. and most of all remeberance of his mistress. I think it is remeberance the most because i dont think he wanted to forget her orelse he wouldnt have kept it on. Much like players wear anumber in rememberance of a dead family memeber i think he was most wearing the vail to cinvey these three things.
I highly respect minister Hooper because he stuck to his beliefs and wanted to make a difference in the town and that he achieved. Hooper is a strong individual and he was willing to loose it all, even elizabeth, in order to stand firm in his faith.
Mybe the guy is self conscious and doesn't want to show his face in public.
I don't think a Martyr is the best way to describe the Minister. He used the veil for more of a personal reasoning. A martyr takes action for the good of his or her people,the Minister just changed his physical features for a symbolic reson.
I don't think you need to see his face to realize the effect he is trying to put on the town. I think he just wants to make the town rethink the way they live and maybe be more forgiving.
I agree with Alie with the fact that his heart belonged to another woman, and he was trying to hide his feelings from everyone and he didn't want to hurt Elizabeth. Love is an important thing and the worse thing to do is hurt someone who really cares for you and you know maybe one day you can love the other person then yourself. One day I think Mr. Hooper could have loved Elizabeth with his whole heart but right now he needed to get over the first women first.
He wanted things to stop after the girl's death he wanted to end everything there. The best way to do that to him was by covering up his face and holding to that moment until he could join her in the afterlife
I think that there is a recurring theme for the romantic period between The Fall of the House of Usher and The Minister's Black Veil. The period seemed to write a lot about a fear of the unknown. In the House of Usher, Rederick and the narrator had a fear of now knowing what was to come. In this story, the community feared Mr. Hooper with the black veil because they didn't know what it meant or what was under it. The fear of knowing that you don't know something seemed to be a common theme. It still applies to today as well. It's seems to be a part of human nature. Whatever we don't know, we automatically are worried about.
A martyr is someone who dies for what they believe and dies for their faith, he did not die for his faith. As Colton said that he wore the veil for personal reasoning and sin rather than faith.
I definitely agree with Colton that he is not really a martyr because I don't think that he necessarily die for his faith, he thought he was covered in sin and ended up dying with the veil still on his face.
so when your around someone that is really holly and all that you tend to clean up your act more then when its just yourself
In response to the discussion earlier today...:)
I find it incredible that Rev. Hooper was able to wear that black veil for so long. On that first day he wore it, that Sunday Sabbath, he was thirty, and he wore it until he died...it is likely that was for at least 20 to 30 years, at least!!!
Why would he do that? I'm not totally sure. At the bottom of the reading on the website there was a note that basically said Rev. Hooper did not wear the veil for the same reasons as another man who wore it as a symbol of his sin...I felt like this was extremely confusing! As I read through the story again, and then the blogs, I had difficulty thinking about what else that veil could represent.
So for now I will project that it reprents sin, but more specifically, secret sin. It seems to me that instead of having a nice outer appearance while keeping a sinful inner heart/mind, Rev. Hooper decided to have the opposite. He placed a black veil right over his eyes, the "windows" to his heart and soul. This way he could focus LESS on hiding all that evil and focus MORE on becoming more pure/holy.
Hmm...the story told how his sermons became pretty powerful after he started wearing the veil...it definitely made a statement, but beyond that, it may have been because Rev. Hooper could speak directly from his heart in its full potential. He didn't have to worry about hiding his sins anymore because they were displayed right on his face. People could listen to his words and look at the veil...and THINK. Wonder about the applications of his words and their applications to his veil, to his life, to their lives, etc.
The part of this story that really struck me was the part where Rev. Hooper described how everyone else seemed to be wearing a black veil! It really made me think. Rev. Hooper's veil helped him to see who was truly accepting and loyal of his raw self. Apparently Elizabeth wasn't, or she wouldn't have deserted him. The rest of the town didn't seem to be either, always distancing themselves in suspicion.
I think that the black veil represents the unknown, and in general people are normally afraid of the unknown therefor they are afraid of Mr. Hooper. I think the reason he wears the veil is because it is a sign of sorrow and it gives him more power while people are confessing their sins. Although he wore it by choice i think he wishes he could take it off because in the text it says. "that he never willingly passed before a mirror, nor stooped to drink at a still fountain." Overall i think that the veil shows that people judge each other to easily just because of one thing. Mr. Hooper was trying to show that even with something as mysterious as a black veil you can still be as normal as everyone else.
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