The
Puritans, of course, were historically a
repressive religious (Protestant) group that left
England for the New World
in hopes of living a life free of the persecution at the hands of
those who
disagreed with their religious doctrines. Ironically, however, the Puritans
established thriving communities with their strong work ethic, and then proceeded to
persecute
those among them who would not conform to the letter of their
law.
The
Puritans were dedicated to work to save
themselves from the sin in the world. Those who deviated
from the teachings
of the Bible were punished in a variety of ways. Excessuve drinking was
frowned upon. A man could not openly kiss his wife in public. Failure to attend church
could
land one in the stocks, and if there were a suspicion of "congress"
with the Devil, a
man or woman would be put to death.
Puritans were intolerant, motivated to
avoid sin, while watching
carefully for sin in others. Guilt was a great force in the Puritans'
beliefs. While they accomplished a great deal, for example, in providing education for
all
children, their intolerance made it difficult for the church to thrive in
a young and changing
country.
In "," by , Mr. Hooper, the
parson (minister) is perceived
to be a "self-disciplined" man, a Puritan
trait which would have been admired by the
people of his Puritan
congregation. In wearing the veil, they believe that if Hooper has not
gone
insane, he is guilty of a dark and terrible sin.
The veil becomes
the
center of discussion for all those in the congregation. When Hooper
oversees the funeral of of a
young woman, the superstitions that guided the
Puritans can be seen: when the veil falls away as
Hooper leans over the
deceased, one woman is sure the corpse "shuddered," and others
imagine a
vision of Hooper and the corpse walking, holding hands.
People
begin to avoid Hooper because he makes them feel
uncomfortable; his original sermon upon donning
the veil, spoke to the mask
all people wear around others to hide their sins. The congregation
was
greatly moved by the message, perhaps due to a sense of guilta Puritan belief that
all
people are sinners.
Hooper's sweetheart, Elizabeth,
ends the relationship
because he will not remove the veil. So the years pass,
and Hooper remains alone, an outcast
from his society.
On
his deathbed, he once again stresses the message of his
earlier sermon. He
points out that he wears a tangible veil that hides his face, but that others
do the same with the mask each wears to hide his/her sins from others. The Puritans'
sense of
evil in the world, the constant warring of God against the Devil,
and the vigilance to avoid sin
and damnation, are reflected in the darkness
of Hawthorne's message. Even into death, Hooper
wears the veil, perhaps
symbolic of the Puritans' belief that all people's souls are black from
sin.
Forgiveness or deliverance from sin are not promoted in this faith, and the color of
the
veil paints a somber, frightening picture of the Puritans' perceptions of
the world and man's
place within that world.
