The Characters in the Minister’s
Black Veil
Character is one of the important
elements that appear in the fiction that handle a big role in developing the
story. Character is defined for many definitions by literary expertise. Oxford
describes character as the all the mental or moral qualities that make a
person, group, and nation different from others (Oxford Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary: 186). Moreover, From Howthorne point of view, character is one of
the important element in a fiction and it may well seem to be one of the least
problematic term which analyses has to deal in studying fiction ( Howthorne,
1985 : 47)[1].
In addition, Mandell and Kirzner defines Character as a fictional
representation of a person that contains of a psychological realistic depiction
(Kirszner, Mandell : 71). In short, I conclude that character the image of the
person that can be noticed both physically and psychologically.
Character is divided into many
terms. A Novelist E.M. Forster
classifies character into two divisions, flat and round character (Kirszner,
Mandell : 71). In another hand, character is also be classified into two
divisions, dynamic and flat character (Kirszner, Mandell : 72) . Dynamic
character is the character that develops more along the story. Flat character
is character that develops less along the story. Other points of view divided
character into two terms, main or major character and minor character. The major character is the character that
develops more and it dominated the story. The minor character is the supporting
character that helps the major or main character to develop the story.
According to the definitions above,
I will analyze the major and the minor characters in The Minister’s Black Veil.
A.
The major character in the Minister’s
Black Veil
By reading the whole story, the
major character in the Minister’s Black Veil is Mr. Parson Hooper. Mr. Parson Hooper
becomes the major or main character because he develops more in the story.
Moreover, he dominated the story since the beginning until the end of the
story. The author describes in detail about Mr. Parson Hooper in detail.
In the sixth paragraph, Mr. Parson
Hooper characterized as gentlemanly person, thirty years old, a bachelor, and
he wears neat dress.
Mr. Hooper
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.
From the description above, it
stated clearly that Mr. Hooper is gentleman man. His age is thirty years old.
Moreover, he usually wears the formal and neat dress as priest usually wears in
the church. From this text, it describes the image of the priest who has a
personality as a gentleman person and wears a neat dress.
The
next sentence describes that Mr. Hooper wears black veil. His black veil
covered his face from his forehead to his chin. Below is the quotation of the
fact above.
There was
but one thing remarkable in his appearance. Swathed about his forehead, and
hanging down over his face, so low as to be shaken by his breath Mr. Hooper had
on a black veil. On a nearer view it seemed to consist of two folds of crepe,
which entirely concealed his features, except the mouth and chin, but probably
did not intercept his sight, further than to give a darkened aspect to all
living and inanimate things.
From the quotation above, it stated
clearly that Mr. Hooper wears strange dress as black veil. The black veil that
Mr. Hooper used is the symbol of the strong belief on the priest.
The way Mr. Parson Hooper walks also
describes in the story. As a most respected priest, he walks elegantly and slowly
with looking his congregation. Below is the quotation represents my view above.
With
this gloomy shade before him, goad 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 meetinghouse steps. But so wonderstruck were they that his
greeting hardly met with a return.
“….and
bowed as he passed his oldest parishioner, a white-haired great-grandsire, who occupied
an armchair in the center of the aisle “.
Those two descriptions above, it
tells the reader that the priest has his unique manner or behavior to walk. It
stated clearly that the way Mr. Hooper’s walk is elegantly with greeting his
congregation in every of his step. Mr. Hooper presents his good manner to
respect other people by bowing his head when he met. It stated clearly that Mr.
Hooper is the priest who has good behavior.
In the next paragraph, Mr. Hooper is
told is known as the best priest and he has his own way to influence his
congregation.
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.
That description tells the reader
that Mr. Hooper is good priest. Moreover, he has a characteristic in delivering
his religion mission. He does not persuade or influence his congregation by
strict style, but he persuades and influence the congregation by gentle or
tender approach.
Mr.
Hooper is a firmer person and he has strong beliefs to do something that he belives
that that is true.
Mr. Hooper is a strong-belief man.
It is appeared by his real rejection toward the people who force him to release
the black veil from his face. Until the end of his life, he believes that the
veil can protect him apart the materialist world. Below is the quotation that
shows his struggle to reject the people who force him to release his black
fail.
Though of a firmer character than his own,
the tears rolled down her cheeks.
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 men!" 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.
"Why do you tremble at me alone?" cried he,
turning his veiled face round the circle of pale spectators. "Tremble also
at each others 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 crepe 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."
From the description above, we see that Mr. Hooper has
strong beliefs. He also a fanatic priest who do not deal to release his veil
although he face a number of great pressures from his people beside him.
Moreover, we can see that he really struggle to handle his belief until the end
of his life.
B.
The minor characters in the Minister’s
Black Veil
As the explanation before, the minor
character is the character that supports the major character to develop the
story. There are ten minor characters that appear in the Minister’s Black Veil.
They are the sexton, the children, the old man, the little boys, the
congregation, the physician, the lady, the superstitious old woman, Elizabeth,
and The Reverend Mr. Clark. Below I will analyze the characters of them.
a)
The Sexton
The character of the sexton is obedient.
They do their work well to pull the bell rope as the sign of the prayer day.
THE
SEXTON stood in the porch of Milford leetinghouse, pulling busily at the bell
rope.
b)
The Children
The character of the children in this
story is cheerful. The phrase bright face
is the symbol that the children are happy to attend the Sunday prayer in
church.
Children,
with bright faces, tripped merrily beside their parents, or mimicked a graver
gait, in the conscious dignity of their Sunday clothes.
c)
The old woman
The character of the old woman is
talkative. She talks about the strange of Mr. Hooper who wears a black veil
entering to the church.
"I
don't like it," muttered an old woman, as she hobbled into the
meetinghouse. "He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding
his face."
d)
The little boys
The little boys are the active boys who
make a noisy and move actively.
….several little boys clambered upon the seats, and came down
again with a terrible racket.
e)
The physician
The physician is critical person. It is
known by his comment to Mr. Hooper as he wears black veil.
"Something
must surely be amiss with Hooper's intellects," observed her husband, the
physician of the village.
f)
The lady
The lady is also the kind of critical
woman. She comments and analyses the factor of Mr. Hooper wears a black veil.
"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!"
g)
The superstitious old woman
The detail character of superstitious old
woman does not appear clear in this story.
A
superstitious old woman was the only witness of this prodigy.
h)
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is Mr. Hooper girlfriend. Trough
this dialog below, Elizabeth is a firmer woman because he dares to take action
as Mr. Hooper rejects his suggestion to release the veil from his face.
"Lift the veil but once, and
look me in the face," said she.
"Never! It cannot be!" replied Mr. Hooper.
"Then
farewell!" said Elizabeth.
i)
The Reverend Mr. Clark
The reverend Mr. Clark is Mr. Hooper’s
friend in the Westbury. Below is the author’s description of Mr. Clark.
There, also, was the Reverend Mr.
Clark, of Westbury, a young and zealous divine, who had ridden in haste to pray
by the bedside of the expiring minister.
The Characterization in the
Minister’s Black Veil
Characterization is the
way the author develop the character and reveal the character’s trait to the reader (Krizner, Mandell : 71).
Character is also defines as the process by which the author reveals the
personality of the character. Character is divided into two parts, direct
characterization and indirect characterization. Direct characterization is the author tells
the reader directly the detail information about the character. Indirect
characterization is the author tells the reader indirectly through the
character’s behavior, action, speech, and thought. Moreover, characterization
is also defines as explanatory and dramatic characterization. Explanatory
characterization is the author describes the character by his self. However,
dramatic characterization is the author gives the reader chance to judge the
character that develops in the story. In short, character is the way the author
introduces each of the character in the story.
From my point of view, The Minister’s
Black Veil uses direct characterization or explanatory characterization. Below
is the example of direct characterization in the Minister’s Black Veil.
Mr. Hooper
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. (The author describes Mr. Hooper)
Though of
a firmer character than his own, the tears rolled down her cheeks…... (The
author describes Mr. Hooper)
There,
also, was the Reverend Mr. Clark, of Westbury, a young and zealous divine, who
had ridden in haste to pray by the bedside of the expiring minister.
(The author describes Mr. Clark )
From
the description above, it is clear that the author describes the detail each
character in the story by direct characterization.
CONCLUSION
From the analyses conducted, the major
character in the Minister’s Black Veil is Mr. Hooper Parson. Mr. Hooper parson
is the good priest in the country which almost congregation respects to him
much. He has a unique character to be researched. As a priest, he has good
behavior in all the side of his life. The way Mr. Hooper greets his people and
walks derived the conclusion that Mr. Hooper has good behavior. Moreover, Mr.
Hooper is a firmer priest who hands his beliefs until the end of his life. He
struggles to protect his beliefs until the end of his life. So, there is no
doubt that Mr. Hooper has complete package of good priest.
Beside, the minor characters in The
Minister’s Black veil are the sexton, the children, the old man, the little
boys, the congregation, the physician, the superstitious old woman, Elizabeth,
and the reverend Mr. Clark. Each of them helps Mr. Hooper to support Mr. Hooper
developing the story.
In short, the character of Mr. Hooper
gives the real description about the character of priest. As the priest, he has
good character to be example of his people. It is like a strict rule that the
priest has to be a good example of his people.
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