The Minister's Black Veil Literary Response

Steve Epting
AP English
The Minister’s Black Veil Literary Response
In this story, The Minister’s Black Veil, a minister is preaching to his congregation. This minister, Parson Hooper, is not like any other minister that directly talks to his or her congregation. Hooper preaches with a black veil over his face. “….it seemed to consist of two folds of crape, which entirely concealed his features, except his mouth and chin, but probably did not intercept his sight, further than to give a darkened aspect to all living and intimate things.” This simple piece of fabric means so much throughout this story. My questions, while reading the passage, were what does the veil represent?; is the minister trying to hide something?; what does the congregation think about this?
There is no direct relationship between the minister and his congregation. The veil represents a brick wall blocking a relationship the minister could have with his congregation. The people in the congregation are not getting the direct contact that they need from a minister. The communication process is failed because of loss of eye contact. This black veil was a force, holding the congregation from getting more involved with different things.
The minister’s black veil also represents that the minister is may be trying to hide something. He may have a face defect, or he may have stage fright and the veil is helping him to be able to speak in front of a crowd. There also might be bad things that Hooper had done in the past and he doesn’t want the congregation to know that that is him. “Did he seek to hide it from the dread being whom he was addressing?” The black veil shields his personality, making the congregation view him as a mysterious character.
While listening to the minister speak, the congregation is longing to know who the minister is. “….that they longed for a breath of wind to blow aside the veil, almost believing that a stranger’s visage would be discovered, through the form, gesture, and voice were those of Mr. Hooper.” That line, form the story, means that the congregation was so desperate to know who the covered minister was that they would just want him to blow his breath, just to get a glimpse of the side of his face.
For the duration of the story, the simple piece of fabric meant so much. It had different meanings of how people portrayed the minister and how the congregation just wanted to see the minister’s face. “Yet the pale-faced congregation was almost as fearful a sight to the minister, as his black veil to them.