In the story “The Minister's Black Veil”, fear of the unknown is used by the main character, Mr. Hooper, to draw attention to what was deemed necessary to achieve salvation. He believed that people should be honest and sincere with God and should avoid wearing a “veil” to hide their true face when speaking to God. He wore the veil to symbolize the indirect way most people use to cover themselves when speaking with God. Hooper refused to remove her veil, saying she would put it aside once everyone else had done so. Unfortunately, Hooper never explained why she chose to wear her headscarf, which led to an uproar of confusion in the community. Community members sought a simple explanation for his actions. For example, some believed that he had had an affair with a recently deceased girl, and was grieving, or that he had committed a sin so grave that he refused to show his face. The community began to shun Hooper and fear the reverend they once respected, only because of his one inexplicable action. The community begins to fear him to the point that he loses almost all the respect he had within the community and dies without his girlfriend by his side. Even on her deathbed she refused to share with the community why she chose to wear the veil. Hawthorne reveals in this short story how people long for an explanation for the abnormal, and when they cannot find a satisfactory answer, they reject and fear the abnormal.