The Veil in “The Minister’s Black Veil,” illustrates sin, and the minister wears it to prove some kind of point. Ambiguity means unclear expression or uncertainty of meaning. Someone who is ambiguous is doubtful, vague and unclear. The minister was someone who was called in times of need, but then completely avoided in times of happiness. The people gossiped and looked at him strange only because of a simple veil. Ambiguity and the veil relate because the doubt of the veil was what most disturbed the people.
The minister starts his sermon by discussing “secret sins” which makes the congregation wonder what his sin might be. When people looked at the veil covering the minister’s face, they didn’t know what to think of it. They were unsure and wanted to know but the minister wouldn’t make it clear to them. He wanted them to try and fgure it out. I think the veil was worn by him because he was trying to prove a point so they can look at themselves and at him not to Judge or criticize but to be concerned about him.
Also to see that they are doing something wrong, but instead they looked at the veil and his sin, not him. They didn’t stop to think of themselves and how they are sinning because they are all hiding it. Since the veil on the minister was revealed, they think they have the right to Judge only because they think his sins are revealed not theirs. So are they no longer seeing his kindness or good heart, but Just the veil that’s in front of him. I believe that that’s what most people do.
When someone admits to a sin theyVe committed, they Judge them for it, but they are too blind to see theirs, only because no one knows of theirs. At no point in the story do the people try to figure out the symbol of the veil, instead they gossip about what couldVe happened that caused Hooper’s shame. The townspeople are moved by curiosity and superstition rather than being human and humble. This was a significant point Hooper tried to show the people but the failed to realize it.
