Top 4 The Minister's Black Veil quotes
“He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face”
- The old woman
As Reverend Hooper walks into the meeting house with the veil for the first time, it causes a stir in the whole congregation. Parishioners cause quite a stir and express literal horror at the appearance of a simple veil. This horror is exemplified in the old woman’s comment about the veiled Reverend Hooper.
“For the Earth, too, had on her Black Veil.”
- Narrator
Reverend Hooper’s veil doesn’t just affect their perception of him, but it also alters his perspective a great deal. He appears at a wedding with his veil and influences the merry ceremony so that it feels like a dark affair. Reverend Hooper catches a glimpse of his reflection and rushes into the night. As he leaves the wedding, he experiences horror at his appearance. In the moment of horror, he notes the similarity between his black veil and the veil of night that comes over the earth so often. This demonstrates Hooper's current obsession with sins, and death.
“There is an hour to come when all of us shall cast aside our veils.”
- Reverend Hooper
The minister tries to explain that he cannot take off his mask when his fiancé presses him to do so. The readers understand that Reverend Hooper believes everyone has secrets, but he is perhaps the only person being honest about his secrets through the symbol of the veil. He refers to the hour of judgment, as he tells her that all of their secrets would be laid bare on Judgment day. Elizabeth fails to understand him and breaks off her engagement with him.
“O! you know not how lonely I am, and how frightened, to be alone behind my black veil.”
- Reverend Hooper
Elizabeth prepares to leave him as she cannot stand to be in presence of his veiled face. Reverend Hooper breaks down as he asks her not to leave him for the recognition of his sin. He feels alone and scared, yet his vow binds him to his veil. Hooper is willing to remain in a state of loneliness for the sake of his beliefs.
