The minister's black veil is an allegorical short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1832 It tells the story of a minister, Reverend Hooper, who wears a mysterious black veil over his face and refuses to explain why. The minister’s veil is widely interpreted to represent the unidentified sins of the minister and the people of his town, forcing them to confront the potential darkness within their souls and the secrets they may be trying to hide.
The minister’s black veil is an iconic symbol of individual secrecy and the unknown aspects of human nature. Here are five examples of the minister’s black veil in literature and films:
1. The Scarlet Letter (1850): Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter is a novel that explores the consequences of adultery in Puritan New England. The novel follows the protagonist Hester Prynne, who is forced to wear a scarlet A, symbolizing her sin, on her clothing as a form of penance. The minister in the novel, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, continuously wears a black veil over his face as a reminder of his sin and shame.
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890): Written by Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray follows the protagonist Dorian Gray. By remaining young and beautiful for an extended period of time, Dorian is able to hide the moral degradation of his soul. One symbol of this is Dorian’s portrait, which gradually transforms from an untouched painting to one that is twisted and grotesque as a representation of Dorian’s inner corruption. Similarly to the minister’s black veil, the portrait of Dorian Gray serves as a symbol of Dorian’s hidden sins and the immoral choices he has made throughout the novel.
3. The Prestige (2006): The Prestige is a film directed by Christopher Nolan. The film follows two rival magicians, Alfred Borden and Robert Angier, as they engage in a prolonged battle of one-upmanship. At the film’s climax, it is revealed that Alfred has been wearing a black glove over his right hand to conceal the fact that he has a double. This glove serves as a symbol of Alfred’s hidden secrets, similar to the minister’s black veil from The Minister’s Black Veil.
4. The House of Leaves (2000): Written by Mark Z. Danielewski, The House of Leaves is a psychological horror novel that follows the protagonist Johnny Truant. As the novel progresses, Johnny discovers a hidden manuscript written by a man named Zampano, who claims that a mysterious house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. This motif of a mysterious, seemingly supernatural house symbolizes the darkness within the characters’ souls, much like the minister’s black veil.
5. Fight Club (1999): Fight Club is a film directed by David Fincher. The film follows the protagonist, known only as “the narrator”, as he descends into an increasingly violent lifestyle. Throughout the film, the narrator is represented by a character known as Tyler Durden, who serves as a representation of the narrator’s violent, hidden desires. Tyler wears a black leather jacket with a burning red cross on the back as a symbol of his role in the film and his desire to keep his identity hidden, similar to the minister’s black veil.