Human Nature as Evil

Evil manifests itself in the form of hidden sins. The minister already inwardly bears the community’s sin by listening to their confessions. It is possible that the minister chose to make the greatest sacrifice he could, by bearing the sins of the community in a visible way. In doing so, the community should have understood and appreciated his constant support and strength of faith. On the contrary, they gossiped about his sin as if it were greater than their own, and as if in seeing his outward expression of sin, they could overlook their internal crimes. In the end, the minister points out how all the townspeople have treated him poorly, neglecting their own sin and focusing on his. But, it seems that they never truly understood, or repented, their actions, as the story closes with the frightful thought that the minister’s face still lay behind the veil even in death.