I like this story a lot. It was very interesting to read, and then have it read to me. The overall story has a really strong theme, which I think is why the story is so interesting. I noticed many dark romanticism characteristics right of the bat. The black veil is the topic of the town. People do not understand why the minister is walking around with the black veil. That adds mystery to the story because if people in the town do not know why he is wearing the veil, then the reader does not know either. The quote "He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face," is such a powerful quote in the story. Just because Mr. Hooper added a piece of crepe to his face, all the characters in the story suddenly think he has gone mad and his personality has changed. This is the mystery that I find in the story because if people really knew Mr. Hooper, then adding a piece of crepe to his face should not change their opinions of him. The minister is very smart in this story and also has a lot of perseverance. I think he sends out a good message with the black veil, because he is right. We all do have sins and mistakes, making our face a black veil. There is a lot of emotion on our faces, we can easily hide what we have done wrong, which is represented by the black veil.
This story also has an aspect of horror to it. I think this because of the color black. When using the word black to describe the veil, it just gives it a whole new meaning. I think of something very dark, never being able to look into his face while talking to him. This frightens most people in the town. I can tell when the woman says "and I would not be alone with him for the world. I wonder he is not afraid to be alone with himself."
I think this story represents the dark romanticism because of the tragedy at the end. Mr. Hooper said he would wear his veil until the day when all people were to remove their veils and then his face would be seen once again. This time came at his death bed at the end of the story. He was about to enter heaven where he would no longer need the black veil hiding his secrets and his sins. Sin is also a major characteristic of dark romanticism writing because it is such a sad, and painful topic. No one likes to admit their sins and they happen everyday. The black veil is ultimately a symbol for sins, and how each day we cover our faces, which covers all our sins. Another term associated with dark romanticism is "monsters." The townspeople in the story believe that Mr. Hooper had become a monster because he was walking around with such a grotesque veil that people could not longer see him as the Mr. Hooper he was, but what he is now,
The theme in this book is very powerful. The black veil was such a bold statement made by the minister that all of his congregation should learn from him instead of abandoning him because he covered his face with a black piece of crepe, showing the power of his individualism, which is another characteristic of romanticism writing.
Werlock, Abby H. P. "'The Minister's Black Veil'." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CASS581&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 25, 2012).
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Minister's Black Veil. New York: Glencoe Literature. 279-90. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment