Nathan Wallace
Summary Good
Englsh 212 084
Dr. Bruce R. Magee
Analysis OK
Grammar Weak
82
Hawthorne’s Veil
The meaning of the veil in HawthornE’s “The Minister’s Black Veil” has generally been
understood to reference the sins that all try to hide. However, in William Freedamn’s article
“The Artist’s Symbol and Hawthorne’s Viel: ‘The Minister’s Black Veil’ Resartus,” the veil is
discussed as representing Hawthorns own inherent troubles. Freedamn continues with the
concepts presented in W.B. Carnochan essay in 1969. Freedman states that in the essay
Carnochan “is more interested in the veil as a clue to Hawthorne’s ultimate disintegration as a
symbolist, hence a writer, than in the veil-as-artistic-symbol in the tale.” Freedman concludes on
this concept that there is still much left to say concerning these arguments.
It is taken on the surface that the Veil is a symbol of sin for the townspeople and for the
reader of “The Minister’s Black Veil.” Freedman states that,
it carries autobiographical import more for the artist’s dubious present than for his
declining future, that it speaks of Hawthorne’s adoption of the symbolic method (the
donning of the viel), of the power of that alteration of his literary “face,” and of its price.
Here Freedman discusses how the “veil” is more of a representation of Hawthorne’s current
emotional state rather than just the literary meaning of sin. In an effort to explain Hawthorne’s
symbolic intent Freedman first explains the derivation of a symbol or rather the intent of a
symbol. Symbols “stand for units of human feeling, human experience.” So rather than the veil
symbolizing a single almost materialistic item; it represents a feeling.
Furthermore, Freedman compares the reader with the townspeople. As the townspeople
wanted to ask the Minister his reason for wearing the veil the reader wants to investigate reason
for the symbol by directly asking Hawthorn. However, as the minister did not directly provide an
answer nor does Hawthorne.
But eventually, like naïve readers unable to control their curiosity and simplistically
trustful that the author is the final arbiter of his own meanings (a trust, by the way, that, if
we share it, finally reduces the rich tale to the shallowness of the minister’s own deathbed fulmination), a few approach him. Futilely, of course, for the creator will not reveal
his intentions.
Also, as the townspeople are to ponder the meaning of the veil the reader is left to ponder the
meaning of the reason to address such an issue. This want to ponder is in effect said to be the
symbol in Freedman’s article. The realization of this use brings to light the concept that the veil
is not only a symbol but rather a “symbol of symbols.” The constant curiosity of the townspeople
and the reader is also represented by the veil.
The reader is left on the surface to ponder the meaning of the veil: sin, symbol of
symbols, or Hawthorn’s own exhibition of his thoughts and feelings. Freedman, discusses
Malcolm Cowley’s hypothesis where perhaps Hawthorn’s emotional isolation is the hidden
motivation for using such humanistic symbolism or a more congruency in the comparison to the
Minister’s isolation: “Hooper, like the artisist, also partakes of the infection he perceives.” Both
the minister and the artist (Hawthorne) are seen as having the same emotional issues or rather the
same emotional consequences. These consequences consisting of isolation and as a result of their
actions lead to the infliction of judgment and speculation.
The speculation that the veil has inherently or otherwise not three meanings is a measure
of much debate. I do agree with the first one that the representation of sin is a deep but rather on
the surface interpretation of the veil. I also agree with the second observation that the veil is a
symbol of symbols; that the mere continuation of it use as attire increases the curiosity of the
townspeople and that this constant torment is representative of human nature. However the
believe or the consideration that Hawthorns intent was a self representation of his emotional state
is a bold statement. The nature of his emotions I believe can not truly be understood. There are
some parallelism between the Minister’s emotional state and that of the authors as proposed by
Freedman. However, to fully agree with that more research would have to be done into the
history of Nathaniel Hawthorne and his emotional state at the time he wrote “The Minister’s
Black Veil.”
Works Cited
Freedman, William. "The Artist's Symbol and Hawthorne's Veil: 'The Minister's Black Veil' Resartus."
Studies in Short Fiction 29.3 (1992): 353-362. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 28 Jan.
2011.