The Presence of a Veil or Mask Essay example

Submitted By hihello27
Words: 458
Pages: 2

I decided to read “Ysrael” and “The Minister’s Black Veil” back to back and it actually really brought my focus in on the mystery of these blocks. In the case of Ysrael’s mask, it is a well-known story that as a child, a pig ate away at his face, leaving him scarred and disfigured. Since there is no secret as to why he wears the mask, it would be natural if others became accustomed to it. But simply because he is never seen without this mask, it creates an element of wonder. Rafa becomes intrigued by what the face actually looks like and will do anything to ease his curiosity, even if it means showing hostility to Ysrael. It is this mask that drives the main characters forward into some kind of discovery. It is also clear that the narrator has a real internal conflict with being mean towards this kid who seems just as normal as himself. This object sets the entire story into motion and drives it towards the change we all want from some heightened moment. “The Minister’s Black Veil” has a different approach when introducing this kind of mask. Father Hooper was a consistent character throughout his life where every Sunday, townspeople expected the same routine. It is the surprise element of the black veil in this story that throws everything off balance. It takes this regular pace of life and upsets everyone who can see or hear about it. As I read further into it, I noticed that the anxiety surrounding the veil intensified more because Hooper would never acknowledge that anything was different than the actual veil itself. It became this symbol of secrets and sin for the people when in reality, nothing had changed. Hooper