whom nobody can identify. The congregation feels as though Hooper can reach into their souls and see all the inadequacy and sin hidden within. As expressed in the story, "Each member of the congregation, the most innocent girl, and the man of most hardened breast felt as if the preacher had crept upon them, behind his awful veil, and discovered their hoarded iniquity of deed or thought." Because of his vow, the minister is forced into a life of solitude, forever lacking satisfaction and comfort. "The eyes are the window to your soul," In not being able to see Mr. Hooper's eyes, the congregation becomes distressed and uncomfortable. The eyes make it possible for others to discern your feelings and emotions. Mr. Hooper creates an impenetrable solitude that makes it impossible for people to relate to him. The body is but a shell; the eyes are the gates to the real self. From the first day of the veil dropping over the minister's face people's opinions changed of him. He becomes a mystery, unreachable and feared. In reality the minister hadn't changed at all. He is the same gentle man with the slight smile gracing his face. Only by the adding of a simple cloth did the person they once knew change into a stranger in their own eyes. A few simple differences in appearance can change a person’s life in a multitude of ways. The veil is a thin obstacle separating Hooper from his own people. Upon Minister Hooper's death, the mourners decide not to lift the veil out of respect. In the minutes before he dies, the minister requests that the veil never be removed. This wish will be his last and therefore it must be obeyed. Lifting the veil would not have resolved any of the feelings that overcame them. They would have to live with the memory of the black shroud along with the veil presently hanging over each one of their own faces. All questions would be answered when their life on this earth ended. Until then, secret si...
