Who or what is the villain?
The villain in this story is secret sin, represented by Mr. Hooper’s black veil. Humans naturally want to hide their secret sins and conceal it from the world, including themselves. Secret sin, then, is what the townspeople – the protagonists – are repressing. Why is the black veil not the villain? The veil is nothing more than a piece of crepe; the villain is what it represents, and how the characters in the story interpret it to be. It’s like a transparency into others’ souls, which is ironic, because it provides such a definite, physical boundary between Mr. Hooper and the townspeople.
The villain in this story is secret sin, represented by Mr. Hooper’s black veil. Humans naturally want to hide their secret sins and conceal it from the world, including themselves. Secret sin, then, is what the townspeople – the protagonists – are repressing. Why is the black veil not the villain? The veil is nothing more than a piece of crepe; the villain is what it represents, and how the characters in the story interpret it to be. It’s like a transparency into others’ souls, which is ironic, because it provides such a definite, physical boundary between Mr. Hooper and the townspeople.
Why does Mr. Hooper wear the veil?
There are multiple possible reasons for why Mr. Hooper wears the veil. Recall that in the beginning of the story, there is a funeral for a dead girl going on. This is the first day that Mr. Hooper begins wearing his black veil, so I believe that there is a possibility he had an affair with the dead girl. There is proof that my belief is true, as two other townspeople say that they, “had a fancy that the minister and the maiden’s spirit were walking hand in hand,” (page 9). There is more evidence: On page 11, he confesses to his fiancée Elizabeth that he cannot tell her the reason of the black veil because of a vow to which he is bound. Another reason why Mr. Hooper wears a black veil is to try to make the townspeople aware of their black veils, their own secret, forbidden sins.
There are multiple possible reasons for why Mr. Hooper wears the veil. Recall that in the beginning of the story, there is a funeral for a dead girl going on. This is the first day that Mr. Hooper begins wearing his black veil, so I believe that there is a possibility he had an affair with the dead girl. There is proof that my belief is true, as two other townspeople say that they, “had a fancy that the minister and the maiden’s spirit were walking hand in hand,” (page 9). There is more evidence: On page 11, he confesses to his fiancée Elizabeth that he cannot tell her the reason of the black veil because of a vow to which he is bound. Another reason why Mr. Hooper wears a black veil is to try to make the townspeople aware of their black veils, their own secret, forbidden sins.
Maria Xie, your Ultimate Decepticon >.<
Here are a couple more Level II questions to think about for The Minister's Black Veil:
ReplyDeleteWhat does the veil represent?
Why don't the townspeople accept Mr. Hooper's veil?
-Maria, >.<