Mr. Hooper wears his veil as a reminder of Original Sin, or the innate sin believed to be inherited by all people following the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. On his deathbed, Mr. Hooper explains that the people have been wrong to shun him for his black veil, for a figurative black veil darkens “every visage.” Every human, he suggests, is a sinner; therefore, if they fear him, they should fear each other and themselves.

Mr. Hooper’s condoning of their isolating him as singularly sinful is not to suggest they should not tremble at the sight of his sin. Indeed, he is horrified by his own reflection. When he sees himself in the mirror, he flees the room. While Mr. Hooper confronts his own sinfulness, the residents of Milford deny the existence of their own. In the absence of an explanation from Mr. Hooper, they assume the veil is a reflection of Mr. Hooper’s sin alone. Their fear of his appearance and their resulting alienation of him suggests their desire to separate themselves from a man they see as guilty of an awful crime—but also that they are shying away from accepting the sin within themselves.