Minister SwagNathaniel Hawthorne has had a long history of writing stories that deliver enthralling, radical ideas packaged in exquisite symbols. The short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” is no exception to this history. In this parable, the topic of sinning and how it plays a part in society is the theme discussed. The main symbol found throughout “The Minister’s Black Veil”, the black veil, proves this by representing how people hide the intrinsic part of life that is sinning, and showing how people of a Puritan society act towards secret sin. The symbolic black veil and its wearer help reveal Hawthorne’s opinions on wrongdoing, teaching a valuable lesson in life that may otherwise go unnoticed: everyone has a veil they hide behind that conceals their sins from one another, so sin that is recognized should be approached in a different fashion by others.
The black veil found in “The Minister’s Black Veil” is an extraordinary symbol that helps display Nathaniel Hawthorne’s opinions on sin. To fully understand the role of the veil as a symbol, one must understand what a veil is meant for, which is to cover one’s face. This purpose plays a part in displaying its symbolic role as well. The black veil in this short story represents hiding one’s persona and shedding light on the sins they have committed. As a result, the black veil has the effect of causing one to look at the wearer for their sins, rather than their actual character. This is corroborated when Hooper said he had “sorrows dark enough to be typified by a black veil” (Hawthorne 5).
”Honeymoon’s Dreamer, the most powerful person in the world, is named for his father. Throughout the story, she is portrayed as sweet, and her role is to hide her love for her father for whom she has long been suffering. A dark, beautiful, and mysterious spirit, Honeymoon tells her story on the condition that she never talk about her father without his approval since he loves her.
”The only way to stop the dark, beautiful, and mysterious spirit, Hui’s Dark Shadow, is to stop her father from causing the pain that Honeymoon and other characters in The Shadow of Harlequins are having on The Dreamer.
””There is no place for black holes in The Shadow of Harlequins. Hui’s place is so deep in this dark, beautiful world that its presence is considered a sign of weakness. She is afraid. She is afraid. Hui’s Dark Shadow is afraid and she is trying so hard to stop the darkness that is holding her back.”
One of the most infamous symbols of The Shadow of Harlequins is the black veil. It is the only place that is truly invisible to the eyes. This symbol embodies a very different meaning than anything else in The Shadow of Harlequins. This “dark, beautiful, and mysterious spirit”:
“If Hui is not afraid she is going to bring forth what she feels for the darkness to come upon the world that it has created inside her.”
In this symbol, her presence signifies that her fear makes her stronger, and she has the freedom to protect it. The dark, beautiful, and mysterious spirit:
“For she has become an angel, who is strong, with the power to bend the rules of the world.”
In the role of the veil as a symbol, the power of darkness is emphasized, as is the power to control it. It seems to symbolize the power of The Shadow of Harlequins, even though it is also the darkness of Hui’s world.
The Dark, Beautiful, and Secret The Shadow of Harlequins is a major part of the Starbuck universe, and contains the most power. The darker one (the Dark Witch) is the world ruler of The Dark World, and he can manipulate this world. The dark world ruler (the Dark Witch) was the key player in the series, but has played a key role in the events of the novel trilogy. He is shown to wield The Dark Mirror, a form of influence that he has