The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne Analysis

Saturday, July 05, 2014 |

FINAL PAPER ENGLISH PROSE

THE MINISTER’S BLACK VEIL BY

NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

AZIZATUR RAHMA

1214025017

ENGLISH LITERATURE

CULTURAL STUDIES FACULTY

2013

I choose The Minister’s black veil because it is quiet interesting. This story has a good moral value, and the plot which story about Mr. Hooper’s life as a minister a parson. This story is unpredictable, we can learn how people express their self. The differences which was shown in this story was how the main character solved his problem. Took a hard decision to made everyone were aware.

I ever had read several short story, most of them told about love, horor or mystery. But this story told me a ‘new’ type. I read how the story could open my mind with a unique quotation

"Why do you tremble at me alone?" cried he, turning his veiled face round the circle of pale spectators. "Tremble also at each other! Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for my black veil? What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful? When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friend; the lover to his best beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!" (Hawthorne:12)

The Minister’s Black veil was a short story which told about Mr. Hooper as a parson in the Milford village, who wore a strange stuff on his face. He came to the meeting-house wore a black veil, cover his face. The congregation shocked with Mr. Hooper’s vagary. They asked to each other why did the minister wear a black veil. Several people did not like it. They thought Mr. Hooper getting mad. But Mr. Hooper enter the meeting-house without feel perturbation. Some gathered in little circles, huddled closely together, with their mouths all whispering in the centre; some went homeward alone, wrap in silent meditation; some talked loudly, and profaned the Sabbath day with ostentatious laughter.

The afternoon service, there is a funeral of young lady. The people talked, about Mr. Hooper who still wear a black veil. But in this funeral, his black veil was appropriate. From the coffin, Mr. Hooper passed the chamber of mourners thence make funeral prayers.

In the night, a couple in that village got married. They invite Mr. Hooper to their party. But, at the first time they looked back, in the party, he still wore his black veil, which had deeper gloom to the funeral. After performing the ceremony, Mr. Hooper raised a glass of wine to his lips, wishing happiness to the new-married couple in a strain of mild pleasantry that ought to have brightened the features of the guests, like a cheerful gleam from the hearth.

The next day, whole village of Milford talked about Mr. Hooper’s black veil. They talked the mystery behind black veil. Good women gossiping his black veil frankly, they thought Mr. Hooper hid a big sin.

Nobody was brave enough to talked directly to Mr. Hooper. Just one person, who brave, Elizabeth. His fiancé tried to ask Mr. Hooper to take off his black veil. but, Mr. Hooper did not take off his black veil. He asked his fiancé to receive his decision to put it on. Thus, Elizabeth left Mr. Hooper.

Everybody avoided Mr. Hooper, they only invited Mr. Hooper when they were sick, or there was a funeral. They did not invite Mr. Hooper to the party, or a happy agenda. Finally, Mr. Hooper was dying. There was another parson, Reverend Clark, he tried to ask Mr. Hooper took of his black veil again, but she failed. Mr. Hooper still did not want. He said that "Why do you tremble at me alone?" cried he, turning his veiled face round the circle of pale spectators. "Tremble also at each other! Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for my black veil? What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful? When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friend; the lover to his best beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!"

After that, every people was aware. The symbol got change. Another parson, Mr. Joseph Moody came and wore a black veil. But unfortunately, this parson hid his big sin behind his black veil, because he killed his best friend.

There were four characters in this short story, Mr. Hooper, Elizabeth, Mr. Clark and society. Mr. Hooper as a parson and Elizabeth was his fiancé. He was a good man, and had flat character. From the first story, the author introduce Mr. Hooper as a good parson.

Mr. Hooper had the reputation of a good preacher, but not an energetic one: he strove to win his people heavenward by mild, persuasive influences, rather than to drive them thither by the thunders of the Word. The sermon which he now delivered was marked by the same characteristics of style and manner as the general series of his pulpit oratory.(Hawthorne, 3)

We can see in the first story, the author described the main character as a good person even though, the society gossiping him. But until the end, Mr. Hooper still become a good character.

He was a stolid person, he was insensitive, never thought about people’s mind. we can see it in each paragraph which explain how the society had a bad argument for Mr. Hooper, because he wore a black veil. But, even though the society said that he got mad or hid the big sin. He still wore the black veil until the end of his life. Because he believed with what he did. The proof was looked since at the first story, which told about Mr. Hooper who still nodding kindly towards his parishioners.

“With this gloomy shade before him, good Mr. Hooper walked onward, at a slow and quiet pace, stooping somewhat, and looking on the ground, as is customary with abstracted men, yet nodding kindly to those of his parishioners who still waited on the meeting-house steps.” (Hawthorne, 2)

Mr. Hooper had a different method to think with his parishioners. He thought carefully, he wanted other people to know what he meant without he notified directly. Unfortunately, whole parishioners did not know what did he think. There was a proof in the end of this story, when whole people was shocked by Mr. Hooper’s words. He told them the reason why he wore his black veil and never took it off in the end of his life.

“While his auditors shrank from one another, in mutual affright, Father Hooper fell back upon his pillow, a veiled corpse, with a faint smile lingering on the lips.” (Hawthorne, 11)

Mr. Hooper was a neat person. He always kept his appearance. He also was a calm person.

“Mr. Hooper, a gentlemanly person, of about thirty, though still a bachelor, was dressed with due clerical neatness, as if a careful wife had starched his band, and brushed the weekly dust from his Sunday's garb. There was but one thing remarkable in his appearance.” (Hawthorne, 2)

In that part of story we can see, the author describe the main character directly in the narration. He describe Mr. Hooper’s wore neatness dress and his careful fiancé always starched his band and brushed his weekly garb. As a parson properly he prepared many thing before

Mr. Hooper was not a talkative, so he just said what did he need to say. As a parson he had a fascination, he did not use words for invited people into heaven but he used persuasive influence.

“Mr. Hooper had the reputation of a good preacher, but not an energetic one: he strove to win his people heavenward by mild, persuasive influences, rather than to drive them thither by the thunders of the Word. The sermon which he now delivered was marked by the same characteristics of style and manner as the general series of his pulpit oratory.”(Hawthorne, 3)

Elizabeth was the female character in this short story, she was Mr. Hooper’s fiancé. She was a good person but easy to be influenced with environment. She was a sensitive person, she care with society’s thought. Because of that she persuade Mr. Hooper to lift his black veil. As a fiancé, she was brave enough to left Mr. Hooper just because a simple thing, black veil.

"Lift the veil but once, and look me in the face," said she.

"Never! It cannot be!" replied Mr. Hooper.

"Then farewell!" said Elizabeth.(Hawthorne, 8)

The next character was Mr. Clark, same as Elizabeth he was just a additional character. So the author did not give a deeper explanation about Mr. Clark. He was a young parson, who came to Mr. Hooper when he was dying. He was a good character, but unfortunately the author did not explain, about the background of Mr. Clark. He also asked Mr. Hooper to left his black veil in the end of Mr. Hooper’s life. But there was a difference between Mr. Clark’s reason and Elizabeth’s reason. If Elizabeth was disturbed by Mr. Hooper’s veil, then Mr. Clark reason was because Mr. Hooper was closer with death. The proof was

The minister of Westbury approached the bedside.

"Venerable Father Hooper," said he, "the moment of your release is at hand. Are you ready for the lifting of the veil that shuts in time from eternity?" (Hawthorne: 10)

The next character was the society, they were helper character, but their involvement was the important thing in this short story. The problem got worse because of society’s perspective, which had bad perception about Mr. Hooper’s black veil. They were gossiping Mr. Hooper. The proof was

"How strange," said a lady, "that a simple black veil, such as any woman might wear on her bonnet, should become such a terrible thing on Mr. Hooper's face!"

"Something must surely be amiss with Mr. Hooper's intellects," observed her husband, the physician of the village. "But the strangest part of the affair is the effect of this vagary, even on a sober-minded man like myself. The black veil, though it covers only our pastor's face, throws its influence over his whole person, and makes him ghostlike from head to foot. Do you not feel it so?"

"Truly do I," replied the lady; "and I would not be alone with him for the world. I wonder he is not afraid to be alone with himself! (Hawthorne, 4)

This story was told in chronological plot, there were five part in this short story, the first part was introduction, the second was rising action, the third was climax, the fourth was falling action, and the last one was conclusion.

The first is Introduction, in this part this author introduced the main character, Mr. Hooper as a parson who wore a black veil.

All within hearing immediately turned about, and beheld the semblance of Mr. Hooper, pacing slowly his meditative way towards the meeting-house. With one accord they started, expressing more wonder than if some strange minister were coming to dust the cushions of Mr. Hooper's pulpit.

"Are you sure it is our parson?" inquired Goodman Gray of the sexton.

"Of a certainty it is good Mr. Hooper," replied the sexton. "He was to have exchanged pulpits with Parson Shute, of Westbury; but Parson Shute sent to excuse himself yesterday, being to preach a funeral sermon." (Hawthorne: 1)

I believe this part was exposition, because in this part the author introduced the main character, described Milford village situation, and several parishioners in village. Introduction of the main character usually put in the first story or opening section of the story.

The second was Rising action, there were 3 parts of rising action in this story

a. people’s judgment

A rumor of some unaccountable phenomenon had preceded Mr. Hooper into the meeting-house, and set all the congregation astir. Few could refrain from twisting their heads towards the door; many stood upright, and turned directly about; while several little boys clambered upon the seats, and came down again with a terrible racket. There was a general bustle, a rustling of the women's gowns and shuffling of the men's feet, greatly at variance with that hushed repose which should attend the entrance of the minister. But Mr. Hooper appeared not to notice the perturbation of his people. He entered with an almost noiseless step, bent his head mildly to the pews on each side, and bowed as he passed his oldest parishioner, a white-haired great-grandsire, who occupied an arm-chair in the centre of the aisle. It was strange to observe how slowly this venerable man became conscious of something singular in the appearance of his pastor.(Hawthorne: 2)

we can see in this part, the society judged Mr. Hooper after he put on his black veil. some people just silent, some of them whispering, and so on. They thought, there was something error with Mr. Hooper’s mind.

b. Funeral

The afternoon service was attended with similar circumstances. At its conclusion, the bell tolled for the funeral of a young lady. The relatives and friends were assembled in the house, and the more distant acquaintances stood about the door, speaking of the good qualities of the deceased, when their talk was interrupted by the appearance of Mr. Hooper, still covered with his black veil. It was now an appropriate emblem. The clergyman stepped into the room where the corpse was laid, and bent over the coffin, to take a last farewell of his deceased parishioner. As he stooped, the veil hung straight down from his forehead, so that, if her eyelids had not been closed forever, the dead maiden might have seen his face.(Hawthorne: 4)

In this part, when there was a funeral, Mr. Hooper’s black veil was appropriate. No one gossiping him, because he wore it in funeral, which many sorrow appeared, and ‘black’ was a right symbol here.

c. Wedding

That night, the handsomest couple in Milford village were to be joined in wedlock. Though reckoned a melancholy man, Mr. Hooper had a placid cheerfulness for such occasions, which often excited a sympathetic smile where livelier merriment would have been thrown away. There was no quality of his disposition which made him more beloved than this. The company at the wedding awaited his arrival with impatience, trusting that the strange awe, which had gathered over him throughout the day, would now be dispelled. But such was not the result. When Mr. Hooper came, the first thing that their eyes rested on was the same horrible black veil, which had added deeper gloom to the funeral, and could portend nothing but evil to the wedding. Such was its immediate effect on the guests that a cloud seemed to have rolled duskily from beneath the black crape, and dimmed the light of the candles.

I believe, three parts of this story, people’s judgment, funeral and wedding were rising action of this story. In this part the story become warmer, the problem begun to appears. People’s judgment as the first problem, the second one was not problem but it would be comparison with the next part that was wedding. If, in the second part (funeral) Mr. Hooper attitude was appropriate in the third part or in the wedding, Mr. Hooper’s decision to wear a black veil offend the couple directly.

The third is Climax, in this short story the climax was when Mr. Hooper fought with his fiancé, Elizabeth. Elizabeth persuaded him to left his black veil, but unfortunately he did not leave it. Even though, Elizabeth was crying Mr. Hooper still in his way. The proof is

"But what if the world will not believe that it is the type of an innocent sorrow?" urged Elizabeth. "Beloved and respected as you are, there may be whispers that you hide your face under the consciousness of secret sin. For the sake of your holy office, do away this scandal!"

The color rose into her cheeks as she intimated the nature of the rumors that were already abroad in the village. But Mr. Hooper's mildness did not forsake him. He even smiled again- that same sad smile, which always appeared like a faint glimmering of light, proceeding from the obscurity beneath the veil.

"If I hide my face for sorrow, there is cause enough," he merely replied; "and if I cover it for secret sin, what mortal might not do the same?"

And with this gentle, but unconquerable obstinacy did he resist all her entreaties. At length Elizabeth sat silent. For a few moments she appeared lost in thought, considering, probably, what new methods might be tried to withdraw her lover from so dark a fantasy, which, if it had no other meaning, was perhaps a symptom of mental disease. Though of a firmer character than his own, the tears rolled down her cheeks. But, in an instant, as it were, a new feeling took the place of sorrow: her eyes were fixed insensibly on the black veil, when, like a sudden twilight in the air, its terrors fell aroundher. She arose, and stood trembling before him. (Hawthorne: 7-8)

After climax there was falling action, his fiancé, Elizabeth left him. He feel lonely, everybody avoid him. The proof was

She made no reply, but covered her eyes with her hand, and turned to leave the room. He rushed forward and caught her arm.

"Have patience with me, Elizabeth!" cried he, passionately. "Do not desert me, though this veil must be between us here on earth. Be mine, and hereafter there shall be no veil over my face, no darkness between our souls! It is but a mortal veil- it is not for eternity! O! you know not how lonely I am, and how frightened, to be alone behind my black veil. Do not leave me in this miserable obscurity forever!"

"Lift the veil but once, and look me in the face," said she.

"Never! It cannot be!" replied Mr. Hooper.

"Then farewell!" said Elizabeth. (Hawthorne: 8)

The last but not the least is resolution or the end of this story, Mr. Hooper dying. Mr. Clark came to persuade him. He died. There was another parson came, he also wore the black veil, but unfortunately he hid his big sin. He has killed his best friend. The proof was

The minister of Westbury approached the bedside.

"Venerable Father Hooper," said he, "the moment of your release is at hand. Are you ready for the lifting of the veil that shuts in time from eternity?"

Father Hooper at first replied merely by a feeble motion of his head; then, apprehensive, perhaps, that his meaning might be doubtful, he exerted himself to speak.

"Yea," said he, in faint accents, "my soul hath a patient weariness until that veil be lifted."

"And is it fitting," resumed the Reverend Mr. Clark, "that a man so given to prayer, of such a blameless example, holy in deed and thought, so far as mortal judgment may pronounce; is it fitting that a father in the church should leave a shadow on his memory, that may seem to blacken a life so pure? I pray you, my venerable brother,let not this thing be! Suffer us to be gladdened by your triumphant aspect as you go to your reward. Before the veil of eternity be lifted, let me cast aside this black veil from your face!"

And thus speaking, the Reverend Mr. Clark bent forward to reveal the mystery of so many years. But, exerting a sudden energy, that made all the beholders stand aghast, Father Hooper snatched both his hands from beneath the bedclothes, and pressed them strongly on the black veil, resolute to struggle, if the minister of Westbury would contend with a dying man.

"Never!" cried the veiled clergyman. "On earth, never!"

"Dark old man!" exclaimed the affrighted minister, "with what horrible crime upon your soul are you now passing to the judgment?"

Father Hooper's breath heaved; it rattled in his throat; but, with a mighty effort, grasping forward with his hands, he caught hold of life, and held it back till he should speak. He even raised himself in bed; and there he sat, shivering with the arms of death around him, while the black veil hung down, awful at that last moment, in the gathered terrors of a lifetime. And yet the faint, sad smile, so often there, now seemed to glimmer from its obscurity, and linger on Father Hooper's lips.

And there was a note for the new parson:

NOTE. Another clergyman in New England, Mr. Joseph Moody, of York, Maine, who died about eighty years since, made himself remarkable by the same eccentricity that is here related of the Reverend Mr. Hooper. In his case, however, the symbol had a different import. In early life he had accidentally killed a beloved friend; and from that day till the hour of his own death, he hid his face from men.(Hawthorne: 11)

There were several place, which were mentioned. The first place is in Milford Village, this place has mentioned since in the first paragraph with meeting-house or church. The proof is:

THE SEXTON stood in the porch of Milford meeting-house, pulling busily at the bell-rope. The old people of the village came stooping along the street.(Hawthrone: 1)

There were 3 times which mentioned in this short story, morning, afternoon, and night.

Morning:

THE SEXTON stood in the porch of Milford meeting-house, pulling busily at the bell-rope. The old people of the village came stooping along the street. Children, with bright faces, tripped merrily beside their parents, or mimicked a graver gait, in the conscious dignity of their Sunday clothes. Spruce bachelors looked sidelong at the pretty maidens, and fancied that the Sabbath sunshine made them prettier than on week days. When the throng had mostly streamed into the porch, the sexton began to toll the bell, keeping his eye on the Reverend Mr. Hooper's door.(Hawthorne: 1)

In that paragraph the author did not wrote ‘morning’ directly, but he describe ambience like a morning. He wrote ‘Sabbath sunshine’ which represented morning day.

Afternoon:

Night:

I have told three kinds of intrinsic elements, which discussed about characterization, plot and setting. After that, now I will tell about extrinsic elements.

The first is biography of writer. This story was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. He was born on July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts. His father died when he was four years old. He lived with his mother, who really protected him after his father died. Hawthorne's childhood left him shy and bookish, which molded his life as a writer. Hawthorne turned to writing after his graduation from Bowdoin College. After his graduation he met with many New England writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Herman Melville, dan Henry David Thoreau. So he tried to write his past experience into fiction story.

In the 1842, he married to Sophia Peabody. Young goodman brown was his first story which had published in new England magazine on 1835. He wrote several successful short stories, however, including My Kinsman, Major Molineux, Roger Malvin's Burial and scarlet letter.

Hawthorne passed away on May 19, 1864, in Plymouth, New Hampshire, after a long period of illness during which he suffered severe bouts of dementia.

This short story was written in Puritan New England, which many people defied the kingdom. Here, Hawthorne criticized the puritan who obsessed with sin. He changed the symbol of black veil in this story. He opened human’s mind that sometimes society’s symbol were not always appropriate.

If we correlate Mr. Hooper’s background which was born in puritan community, we properly think his literary work was influenced by his life experience in puritan community. My notion about it, was corroborated by his several literary work before The Minister’s Black veil like young goodman brown and scarlet letter which take puritan community as setting in that literary work.

Young goodman brown as his first literary work talked about sin in puritan community. Scarlet letter, as his popular literary work also told about sin in puritan community, and this story The Minister’s Black veil touched about sin in puritan community. Thus, Nathaniel Hawthorne actually had a motive to show the concept puritan community base on his perception as people which was born in puritan community.

The differences between these three literary work were, young goodman brown told about witchcraft sin, scarlet letter told about adultery sin, and the minister’s black veil told about symbol of sin in puritan community. If we see his background who did not like puritan community until changed his last name from ‘hathorne’ (his father’s name) to be ‘hawthorne’ or gave ‘w’ in the middle of his name. His three literary work have showed about his perception on puritan community’s obsession with sin. He wanted show, how extreme puritan community judge their community.

Literary criticism

Psychoanalysis of Minister’s black veil

There are three critics in this essay, the first one is Jung’s personality theory. The second and the third are Tyson’s theory about anxiety and self defense.

Now the first analysis about Jung’s personality theory. When we saw the character of Mr. Hooper as a parson, we will find some gaffes. First is, why did he hide the reason for wore a black veil to his parishioners. He did not tell anyone include his fiancé, Elizabeth. If we looked deeper to his personality, we would realize that Mr. Hooper was an Introvert person. His reluctance for shared his reason because of his personality. According to Jung,

"the spiritual needs of humans are at least equally, if not more, potent than the basic biological needs, and these yearnings will be expressed differently in introverted and extraverted people." (Monte, 98).

An introvert person, like Mr. Hooper would be influenced by subjective value from himself. his orientation was not toward the outside world. His feeling, his measure leaned only toward himself. His adaptation in the society was bad. It was why Mr. Hooper could not share his reason with the society. Even though he was a parson, but in the short story has told that Mr. Hooper was a good preacher but not an energetic one. But we can also presume, Mr. Hooper wore a black veil as a parable for Puritan Community, and his introvert character becomes one of his determinant success factor.

Mr. Hooper’s decision to wear a black veil was not a simple decision. In other word, he has considered the consequences, whereas from the setting of this story which took puritan era. Puritan was a group who want to bring back Christian concept into bible not in a concept of kingdom dominance. Thus, the decision of Mr. Hooper in that condition was a hard decision, he would be avoided by the society because of wearing black veil. The background why did he wear a black veil was quiet interesting.

I think, Mr. Hooper was more afraid with his God instead of the society, he tried to be honest to himself, showed a black veil to the society was symbol of humans disability to saw the deeper meaning of black veil. The concept of black veil as a symbol of hid a big sin was appeared before Mr. Hooper wore that black veil, but suddenly that perception was changed after Mr. Hooper reviled the reason.

The second one is about anxiety theory. Many psychological experience could make Mr. Hooper appeared anxiety. His involutes condition, made him feel anxiety. Mr. Hooper still afraid to lost his fiancé, Elizabeth. In psychoanalysis, we call it as fear of abandonment. With his background as a populer person in Milford Village, and after his decision to wear black veil, many people in Milford Village avoid him. Properly he was afraid his fiancé as a closest person with him, would leave him too. According to Tyson Fear of abandonment—the unshakable belief that our friends and loved ones are going to desert us (physical abandonment) or don’t really care about us (Tyson, 16)

We could see it in this paragraph, when Mr. Hooper asked Elizabeth, to stayed with him,

As a human Mr. Hooper did not want to be left with the people around him. “Don’t desert me” (Hawthorn,) was one of strongest evidence. Beside of that, he showed his human feel to Elizabeth in “O! you know not how lonely I am, and how frightened, to be alone behind my black veil. Do not leave me in this miserable obscurity forever!". Even though he decided to wore a black veil and realized whole consequences, he was still a human, who feel lonely after whole Village left him. Because of fear of abandonment, he asked Elizabeth to stayed with him. But unfortunately, his fiancé left him.

The third one is about self defense theory. As a human, Mr. Hooper, who got many gossip, bad perception, and was left by his fiancé, also did the self defense. According to Tyson “Defenses are the processes by which the contents of our unconscious are kept in the unconscious.” (Tyson, 15). Here, Mr. Hooper’s unconscious mind tried to kept Mr. Hooper felt normal. He did not hear everyone’s thought about his decision to wore a black veil. He thought that there was no problem in his veil. He did denial self defense, he thought the problem with his black veil did not exist. We can see it in this paragraph

"There is an hour to come," said he, "when all of us shall cast aside our veils. Take it not amiss, beloved friend, if I wear this piece of crape till then." (Hawthrone, 7)

In the word ‘not to amiss’, emphasize he did deny self defense. According to Tyson “Denial (believing that the problem doesn’t exist or the unpleasant incident never happened).” (Tyson, 16). Mr. Hooper believe that his problem with black veil did not exist. Thus, we could not judge Mr. Hooper was insensitive person, cause he did not hear human perception about his veil, he just did his denial defense.

Beside of black veil as a symbol, of sorrow, gloomy, funeral or etc. we can see the mirror phase which appeared in this short story. Black veil is a mirror phase symbol of humans heart, which actually have a dark side, and they always covered that side. The black side of their self.

Feminist criticism of The Minister’s Black Veil

This story was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a male author in Puritan community. This story told Mr. Hooper and his decision making for wore a black veil. Unfortunately, in this short story Nathaniel Hawthorne as an author, describe Mr. Hooper deeper than his fiancé, Elizabeth. Even, he did not give explanation about Elizabeth appearance. Whereas, if we look here, Elizabeth was also an important part in this story, as Mr. Hooper’s fiancé. There was a discrepancy depiction between male character and female character in this story. The point of view from male character could not represent female character in this short story. Beside of that, here we see that Elizabeth’s character was described by the author as a third person in this story. The author gave more explanation about character development and in this story we just see how did Mr. Hooper develop, not Elizabeth. If the author want to take Elizabeth as Mr. Hooper fiancé, he should show Elizabeth from the first story, not in the middle.

Elizabeth, as Mr. Hooper fiancé just had one act with Mr. Hooper when they fought. Delineation of Elizabeth was not fair enough. Even though she was brave enough to leave Mr. Hooper, but here Elizabeth, who represent a woman, was described as irrational character. She thought just base on her feeling. She was quiet selfish, who could not accept Mr. Hooper decision. According to Tyson “Traditional gender roles cast men as rational, strong, protective, and decisive; they cast women as emotional (irrational), weak, nurturing, and submissive.” We can see how the author describe woman as emotional in this dialogs

"And do you feel it then, at last?" said he mournfully.

She made no reply, but covered her eyes with her hand, and turned to leave the room. He rushed forward and caught her arm.

"Lift the veil but once, and look me in the face," said she.

"Never! It cannot be!" replied Mr. Hooper.

"Then farewell!" said Elizabeth. (Hawthorne, 7-8)

We can see, how Elizabeth’s emotion entered this part of story. She cried and could not accept Mr. Hooper decision. According to Tyson “Because traditional gender roles dictate that men are supposed to be strong (physically powerful and emotionally stoic), they are not supposed to cry because crying is considered a sign of weakness, a sign that one has been overpowered by one’s emotions” (Tyson, 104). In this story, the author described Elizabeth as a weakness character instead of Mr. Hooper who did not cry although was left by her.

That part was also a traditional gender roles which was appeared by the author. In this story, Elizabeth as Mr. Hooper’s fiancé was not asked about her argument about his decision for wore a black veil. That part of this literary work strengthen traditional gender role, which said that man as a decision maker. With the traditional roles that man is more rational instead of woman. But here, the interesting one was Elizabeth decision which was brave to leave Mr. Hooper as her fiancé. Whereas, puritan society was traditional community, her decision to leave Mr. Hooper showed the contrast role with traditional gender roles, which classify woman as a weakness and had dependence with man. Elizabeth gave a proof that she as a woman in puritan society did not dependent toward man and was brave left his fiancé even though she had ‘feminim character’ like cried, emotional and irrational.

In the first of the story, we can see the differences between male and female character’s appearance. The author still distinguish woman and man’s job. Here, we see that Mr. Hooper was character who role as a parson, which lead people in the church. After that the author described Mr. Hooper as a tidy person, but unfortunately the author gave this explanation,

Mr. Hooper, a gentlemanly person, of about thirty, though still a bachelor, was dressed with due clerical neatness, as if a careful wife had starched his band, and brushed the weekly dust from his Sunday's garb. (Hawthorne, 1-2)

How did the author distinguish woman’s job only in domestic area and served the man like brushed the weekly dust from his garb. This classification was caused of traditional gender role harmed woman’s right which actually has a same right with other.

This story was awesome, it had appeal in each character especially the main character, Mr. Hooper who hid the reason for wore a black veil, his fiancé Elizabeth who was brave left her fiancé, and a chronological plot which unpredictable. I thought in traditional era, like in puritan community the chronological plot might a populer plot instead of another type of plot. Because chronological plot is more easier to be string up. But here, the author made the literary work with unique and unpredictable plot like Elizabeth which had feminim character but she was brave to leave her fiancé. In the last of my essay I gave several critics use Jung’s psychoanalysis theory about introvert personality and Tyson’s theory about anxiety, self defense, and a little bit feminist’s theory.