With the story being set in the Puritan time period of the settlement of New England, as nearly all of Hawthorne's stories are, the reader can logically infer a certain set of value judgements. For instance, these people, being very sincere about their religion, are likely to see anything out of the ordinary, such as a black-veiled minister, as a serious issue that undermines their faith. On the surface the first sight of the veil not only confuses the congregation, but scares them as well. This man is supposed to be their most direct mode of communication with God, and to see him in what they perceive to be quite a bizarre condition, must make them feel that their religious lives may be in danger.

Yet another character trait held by th

Like so many of Hawthorne's stories, the Minister's Black Veil personifies the fallible nature of a people so dedicated to living a life free of sin, when in fact they are simply ignoring the vices that rest under their own pillows.

The true allegory arises from these beliefs of the community, but does not wholly manifest it self until seen from the minister's point of view. Though he may contend that the veil personifies "sorrows dark enough to be typified by a black veil."(p.109), it is possible to infer that the veil is actually somewhat of an experiment by the minister. On the surface he may explain its meaning by some undefinable scruples he may hold, but underneath it represents a test of the community. By donning the black veil the minister realizes his fear that the people of his community are more obsessed with a sin they are sure the minister is hiding from, then their own sins that they live in everyday. Even his fellow man of the cloth Reverend Clark believes the

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Approximate Word count = 666
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)