The Minister's Black Veil

About The Minister's Black Veil

Hawthorne places an unexplained symbol in ordinary village life and follows the interpretations it provokes. The veil alters relationships even when its wearer says little, making the community's responses as significant as any hidden cause. The tale invites reflection on secrecy, shared guilt, and the fear created by an unreadable face.

Reading focus

Examine a village's response to an unexplained veil, where an outward barrier exposes anxieties about secrecy and moral knowledge.

This reading edition contains 5,155 words in 1 original section. Read the text online with adjustable type and three colour themes, or keep a printable PDF.

Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne. Language: English. Reading edition: 28 October 2026.

Opening excerpt

The sexton stood in the porch of Milford meeting-house pulling lustily 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. The first glimpse of the clergyman’s figure was the signal for the bell to cease its summons.

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