In "The Minister's Black Veil," the veil separates Mr. Hooper from his congregation in several different important ways. First off, the veil separates him physically from the rest of the village. The villagers can no longer see his eyes and therefore can no longer connect with him in the same way as before. The veil also separates him from the villagers because of the sense of dread that it causes in them. The veil has caused the villagers to find him ominous and repulsive in a way that they never have before. Finally, the veil further separates him from the rest of the village because of the whispers that circulate about his reasons for wearing it. The villagers assume that he wears it because of some feeling of guilt or shame prompted by a secret sin.
Mr. Hooper feels this separation from everyone else acutely and is greatly bothered by it. In his conversation with his fiancee Emily, he implores her not to turn her back on him as the others in the village have:
O! you know not how lonely I am, and how frightened, to be alone behind my black veil. Do not leave me in this miserable obscurity forever!
Mr. Hooper is clearly bothered by his isolation and doesn't take it lightly, however, he feels that he must wear the veil on this earth. In fact, the inevitability of isolation in spite of our desires for connection with others is one of the central themes of the story.
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