Ministers Black Veil Essays: Masks and Intimacy -- Ministers Black V

The Ministers Black Veil - Masks and secretiveness The Ministers Black Veil begins with a young pastor, Mr. Hooper, arriving at church with an awful black veil covering his face. The people are all(prenominal) dismayed, and curio why he is wearing a black veil. They are hike up dismayed and confused, when he refuses to take it off--ever. Thither is only one venomous who is not horrified by his black veil--his wife-to-be, Elizabeth. She comes to him and says, there is nothing fantastic in this piece of crape, except that it cutiss a face which I am always glad to look upon. Come, good sir, let the sun strickle from behind the cloud. First lay aside your black veil therefore tell me why you put it on. (Heath 2143) Mr. Hooper smiles and replies, There is an hour to come when all of us shall cast aside our veils. Take it not amiss, beloved friend, if I wear this piece of crape till then. (Heath 2143) Elizabeth, again, entreats him to remove the veil, but he replies, this vei l is a type and a symbol, and I am derail to wear it ever, both in light and darkness, in solitude and beforehand the gaze of multitudes, and as with strangers, so with my familiar friends. No mortal affection will see it withdrawn. This dismal shade must separate me from the existence even you, Elizabeth, can never come behind it Elizabeth asks him what shall the people speculate of his veil? Wont it start a scandal? Mr. Hooper then replies, If I hide my face for sorrow, there is cause enough, and if I cover it for secret sin, what mortal might not do the same? (Heath 2143) Elizabeth begins to feel terror at the sight of the veil. She turns to leave the room, and Mr. Hooper cries, Have patience with me, Elizabeth Do not depopulate me, though this veil must be between us here on e... ... understanding, and healing. Mr. Hoopers veil ostracized him from the mercy, understanding and love, from his congregation. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kaul, A. N., (Ed.). (1966). HAWTHORNE A Collection of C ritical Essays. Englewood Cliffs Prentice-Hall, Inc. Levin, Harry., (Ed.). (1961) The carmine Letter and Other Tales of the Puritans. Boston Houghton Mifflin Company. Morris, Lloyd., THE REBELLIOUS PURITAN behaviorrait of Mr. Hawthorne. Port Washington Kennikat Press. The Heath Anthology of American Literature (2nd ed.). Lexington D.C. Heath and Company. Van Doren, Mark., (Ed.). (1951). The stovepipe of Hawthorne. New York The Ronald Press Company. Waggoner, Hyatt H., HAWTHORNE A Critical Study. Cambridge The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. World level and Cultures In Christian Perspective. Pensacola A Beka Book.