Mr. Hooper's parishioners have an intense reaction to his black veil, at first, because it is extremely off-putting.  They are very confused by it because it is so uncommon a thing for a person to cover up their face in this way; we especially like to see the eyes of any person to whom we speak.  They first wonder if it is even their minister behind the veil, and then one old woman says that "'He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face," and another man cries, "'Our parson has gone...

(The entire section contains 273 words.)