According to father hooper’s explanation at the end of “the minister’s black veil,” what point is he trying to make by wearing the veil for most of his life?
he means to show that everyone, not just he, has experienced sin and sorrow and should therefore try not to hide it from others or from god.
he has always meant the veil to be a showpiece for his ministry that would get people talking about his sermons and increase church attendance.
though he has always been considered a good preacher, his sermons are mild, not powerful, so he has put on the veil when he preaches in order to instill the fear of god in his listeners.
he has not wanted to damage the reputation of the church and of his ministry by revealing the terrible thing he has done before he entered the ministry.