Model Body Paragraph
Thesis: Nathaniel Hawthorne exposes humanity’s evil nature in his short story “The Minister’s
Black Veil” through his use of symbolism, theme, and allegory.
**Note: This sample body paragraph shows you one example of each device listed in the above
thesis, whereas in your paper you would likely develop each of these devices into its own
paragraph.
To begin, Hawthorne’s use of symbolism, theme, and allegory helps to reveal the evil
nature of humanity in “The Minister’s Black Veil”. Mainly, the story centers on the symbolism
of a veil that the main character of the story, Mr. Hooper, uses to hide his face from the public.
Mr. Hooper comments to the minister of the town that “I perhaps, like most other mortals, have
sorrows dark enough to be typified by a black veil” (Hawthorne 9). The veil hides his sins and
evils from the general public. The people who see him begin to grow fearful of him and question
what evil actions he commits, exposing their own hypocrisy. Critic William Freedman provides a
similar view that “its [the veil] power to stimulate such efforts and in the still more potent effects
it produces on those who behold it” (354-355). The veil has a strong influence on others and it
reveals their weakness: to face the truth of their own evils. Hence, as with most of Hawthorne’s
stories, the theme centers on humankind’s sins, their weaknesses, and their natural evil. In the
story, Mr. Hooper’s first congregation while he wears the veil is more ominous, as is the subject
for the mass which “had references to secret sin, and those sad mysteries which we hide from our
nearest and dearest” (Hawthorne 10). The people of the mass grow uncomfortable and some
even leave the mass. The people know they themselves commit sins and Mr. Hooper informs
them that God knows everything they do and thereby exposes their darker side, resulting in their
growing fear. Hawthorne’s dark tone and his elements of theme of the story are noted by one
critic as he comments “the story’s macabre tone and repressive early-colonial New England
Puritan setting are familiar elements in Hawthorne’s work…the nature of secret sin and human’s
fallen nature” (“Short Story Criticism” 1). The theme of secret sin is the most prominent in the
story. All of the characters hide behind their secret sin and cannot face it and instead hide out of
fear of society rejecting them. Furthermore, Hawthorne uses allegory to create a deeper meaning
for the unique character of Mr. Hooper. Mr. Hooper in the literal sense is a minister trying to
teach the people of his faith a lesson to avoid sin. However, Hooper can be seen as a fallen hero,
suffering until “an hour to come when all of us shall cast aside our veils” (Hawthorne 5). Hooper
must suffer in his attempt to teach the people and stop continuing presence of evil. He is forced
to live in isolation as those he knows and love more away from him, fearing him for revealing
the truth. This concept is debate among critics. Critic Samuel Chase Coale offers an opposite
view of Hooper as he explains “Hooper has been regarded as sinful…almost faithless, proud,
sacrilegious…misguided religious zealot…and repeats the very sin he is costuming himself to
portray but dooms himself to further isolation” (45). When looking at Hooper from this
perspective, he appears to believe is superior due to his knowledge. Hooper in this way seems to
fit in with Hawthorne’s dark and hopeless feel to the story. In closing, “The Minister’s Black
Veil” is one of many of Hawthorne’s works that use symbolism, theme, and allegory to reveal
the dark nature of humanity.