Question

Why don't the people of the parish ask Mr. Hooper why he is wearing the veil? What do the members of the delegation sent to inquire mean when they report back to their constituents that the "matter [is] too weighty to be handled, except by a council of the churches, if, indeed, it might not require a general synod"?

Answer 1

This question is about the book "The Minister’s Black Veil"

Answer and Explanation:

1. There are several reasons for this, although none is explicit in the book, we can make several interpretations about why people do not ask about Mr. Hooper's black vein. First, the population does not ask about it, because Hooper does not open up to it and does not answer when someone has the courage to ask. A second reason is that the population understands that the veil has a strong connection with sin and when asking Hooper about the veil they would allow their own sins to be pointed out and that would discourage them.

2. They mean that the use of Hooper's black vein was something very unusual and dark that caused discomfort, but that it was having positive results as it attracted believers to the church and made them convert. This made the veil something very contradictory and that would need a lot of attention to be interpreted, discussed and resolved.