Hooper is on his deathbed; this part has caused many writers to discuss the fact that he asks to keep the veil when he dies. G. A Santagelo says that the black veil constantly reminds him that he is a fallen man who must walk in fear and trembling, that there is another death worse than physical death (64). The minister's life is more complex than is reflected in the story and him agreeing to wear the veil throughout his life is an example of how complex it is. Even the minister died every day because his freedom was no longer the same and this is reflected in Santagelo's quote, that there is another death worse than physical death; this happened every day to the minister with the black veil that he was forced to wear and within which he felt death