“The Ministerʼs Black Veil” is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and was
published in the 1836 edition of The Token and Atlantic Souvenir. Like many of
Hawthorneʼs works, the setting of the story is an 18th century town in Puritan New
England. The scene provides a psychological exploration of the themes of sin,
repentance, and morality. Hawthorne may have been inspired by a true event. A
clergyman named Joseph Moody of York Maine, nicknamed “Handkerchief Moody,”
accidentally killed a friend when he was a young man and wore a black veil from the
manʼs funeral until his own death.
The Symbolism of “The Black Veil: The black veil symbolizes secret sin, and the
symbolic representation that all that is inward manifests itself outwardly. The funeral
and the wedding also stand as symbols of dearth and life and the evil that resides in the
human heart pervades even the most sacred events.
Irony: It is ironic that the minister, more than likely one of the more holy men in town,
feels the need to outwardly display his secret sins.
Mood: Hawthorne tints the narrative with dark shades by summoning forth the
references to everyoneʼs --the congregationʼs, Hooperʼs, perhaps even the readerʼs --
secret sins, the characterization of Hooper as the Spirit of Death, and by explicitly
connecting the veil with darkness.
After finishing this short story, all students will be required to develop a thesis and write
a paper.
