The Puritanical Forces On The Story And Song Of The Minister’S Black Veil
One theme that corresponds to both the short story and song of “The Minister’s Black Veil” is that every person has created a sin. Around the end of this short story Parson Hooper exclaims, “when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol (veil) beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!". This quote from Parson Hooper supports the theme that everyone has a sin. Sin plays a major role with puritans because sin is an act that goes against God. These create puritanical forces when the people in the village are quick to blame Parson Hooper to make themselves feel like as if they don’t have any sin. Every person commits a sin which is the theme of both the story and song. Another theme that occurs in both the short story and the song is how people are quick to perceive evil on others and make themselves look good.
At the end of the short story, “The Minister’s Black Veil”, Parson Hooper is infuriated that everyone is judging his veil and says, “Why do you tremble at me alone?" cried he (Parson), turning his veiled face round the circle of pale spectators. "Tremble also at each other! Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for my black veil? What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful?”. Parson’s frustration explains that because of his veil that symbolizes his sin is visible, people in the village can easily point out his mistakes in his life. However just because his sin is visible, that doesn’t mean that other’s sins or evil deeds aren’t there since Hooper says that the villagers that make fun of him for his visible sin are wrong as well. This theme on the perception of evil connects to puritanical forces because every puritan’s main goal is going to heaven and to do that they need to get rid of every sin that is there in them otherwise they will go to hell.
In the story, the people in the village are able to visibly see Hooper’s veil which is his sin which helps “hide” the villager’s evilness because all the focus is on Hooper’s black veil and that Hooper is the only person with a sin. The perception of evil and how quickly people are to find it on another person than themselves is a theme that sticks in both the song and story of “The Minister’s Black Veil”.
