Discussion Topic
Reverend Hooper directs two ceremonies the day he begins wearing the veil and it impacts each differently
Summary:
Reverend Hooper's veil has a profound impact on the two ceremonies he conducts. During the funeral, the veil adds a sense of solemnity and mystery, aligning with the somber mood. Conversely, at the wedding, it creates discomfort and unease among the guests, casting a shadow over what should be a joyous occasion.
Which two ceremonies did Mr. Hooper direct the day he started wearing the veil?
On the same day that Mr. Hooper began to wear the veil, he directed a funeral and a wedding.
Mr. Hooper preached the morning and afternoon sermons before he presided over both ceremonies, however. At the church, Mr. Hooper's appearance created confusion and anxiety among his parishioners.
As the story progresses, we learn how Mr. Hooper's black veil exposes the latent fears and superstitions of his parishioners. They are afraid of him because the meaning of his covered face remains hidden to them. Despite the universal dread among the congregation, no one dares to confront Mr. Hooper about the reasons for his strange new habit.
At the funeral, those who are gathered find no comfort in Mr. Hooper's words. They imagine that their preacher already walks with the dead. There is a similar response to Mr. Hooper at the wedding in Milford Village. No one feels like celebrating, as Mr. Hooper's veil casts a malignant cloud over the couple's union. Hawthorne uses visual imagery to great effect here:
But the bride's cold fingers quivered in the tremulous hand of the bridegroom, and her deathlike paleness caused a whisper that the maiden who had been buried a few hours before was come from her grave to be married.
The specter of death hovers over what should have been a happy celebration. Mr. Hooper's veil causes everyone to think of death and its hold upon each person. So, the black veil symbolizes the power of death and the fears it inspires in us.
What two ceremonies does Reverend Hooper direct in one day and how does the veil affect each?
The first ceremony that Reverend Hooper conducts that day is a funeral service. The color of the veil he wears—black—is entirely appropriate for such a sad, somber occasion, even if it still looks a little strange on a minister of religion. An old lady at the funeral observes that when Reverend Hooper leaned over the coffin, his face would've been partially revealed to the deceased girl, causing her dead body to shudder. Her observation shows that the attention at the funeral is not on the deceased but on the minister. It's telling that even for a funeral, when everyone's wearing black, the minister's black veil still seems somewhat out of place.
Later that day, Reverend Hooper officiates at a wedding. One might have thought that he'd at least have the decency to remove his black veil for this happy occasion. But no. His wearing of the veil is completely inappropriate for what's supposed to be a day of joy and celebration. The veil creeps everyone out, as we can well imagine. The bride, for one, is visibly uncomfortable with Mr. Hooper's lugubrious demeanor, so much so that her cold fingers quiver as she holds her bridegroom's hand. Indeed, the bride has gone so pale with fear at the black veil that it appears to some that the girl buried by Reverend Hooper earlier in the day has risen from the grave.
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