Two men, centuries dividing their stories, living what seem to be mirrored lives. The two individuals lived worlds apart but bear many similarities, they are Jesus Christ and Mr. L-looper of Nathaniel’s short story The Minister’s Black Veil. In fact, The Minister’s Black Veil could be said to be an allegory of the Bible. The people that play a part in their lives also affix a connection between the two individuals these two men, will live out their lives in absolute devotion to their religion, and for the same purpose: taking on the sins of the world.
Their devotion is shown through their actions even though beratement and being shunned by the people they seek to help these men do not lose faith. If there is any one absolute that MrrHooper and Jesus share it is their devotion to aiding people with the burden of their sins Jesus was created as a product of God whose purpose was to take on the sins of the world MnHooper does the same thing, just on a smaller scale.
The people of Mr,l-looper’s town see the veil as Mr,l-looper’s sin, or secret sin as it is unknownst to them why he wears it. This “secret sin” that Mr.Hooper uses to mask his countenance moves the people of his town to confess their sins “The black veil had the one desirable effect, of making its wearer very efficient clergymen. By the aid of his mysterious emblem-for there was no other apparent cause-he became a man of awful power, over souls that were in agony for sin,” Here, Mr.
Hooper, like Jesus, becomes the bearer of all sins. However, it is not just Mr. Hooper‘s actions that connect the two Both Mr,l—looper and Jesus had a faithful follower. Jesus had many followers who stood by him faithfully, one, in particular, being Mary Magdalene, MrrHooper on the other hand had one, Elizabeth. Just as Mary Magdalene was, Elizabeth was very faithful to MriHooper.
Even after he had been abandoned and shunned by the people of his town for his black veil she was by his side till his death “There was the nurse, no hired handmaiden of death, but one whose calm affection had endured thus long, in secrecy, in solitude, amid the chill of age, and would not perish, even at the dying hours Who, but Elizabeth!. Just as Mary Magdalene loved and devoted herself to Jesus in faith, Elizabeth is faithful to Mr.Hooper even though he refused her request to lift his veils Jesus was a martyr, throughout his whole life he worked as the son of God with his sole purpose being to die for the sins of the world even when people turned against jesus, especially towards the end of his life when he was put on trial and crucified Jesus did not abandon his faith. MrrHooper, although not a Martyr, was just like Jesus being that he too was faithful to God Never once did Mr.Hooper abandon his dedication to the lord and remove his veil no matter how much people shunned him, or grew to fear him and the veil.
Even when his beloved Elizabeth asked to just once lift the veil he declined, “Know then this veil is a type and a symbol, and i am bound to wear it every. This dismal shade must separate me from the world: even you, Elizabeth, can never come behind it! Mr.l-looper even in his dying moments refused to reveal his face and even after death the veil remained. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story The Minister’s Black Veil is without a doubt an allegory for the life of Jesus. These two men are that of similitudes, both are individuals who were faithful to God throughout their life, and bore the sins of their people Mr. Hooper’s veil helped him in taking on the sins of his towns people just as Jesus did with the world. The two men both faced with those who contested against them still had their faithful followers. These men, although having lives separated by centuries, share intertwined stories being undoubtedly faithful to God.
Hooper vs Jesus. (2023, Apr 20). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/a-comparison-between-the-life-of-reverend-hooper-in-the-minister-s-black-veil-and-jesus/