Final answer:
The mystery in 'The Minister's Black Veil' is 'the mystery of the black veil,' symbolizing the hidden sins and secrets of individuals. The story explores the themes of hidden identity and the human tendency to conceal our true selves behind metaphorical veils or masks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mystery discussed in Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Minister's Black Veil' is predominantly the mystery of the black veil. This piece of cloth symbolizes the veils or masks that people wear metaphorically to conceal their sins, secrets, and true selves from others.
The story invites readers to contemplate the hidden aspects of human nature and the social implications of choosing to visibly display one's private morality or guilt. Reverend Hooper's black veil represents this central theme and becomes a source of deep curiosity and unease among the townspeople.
The characters in the story are involved in a form of masquerade, where their public personas often contrast with their private selves. The black veil is the most overt symbol of this veiling of identity, though all characters are shown to have their own 'veils' which conceal their true thoughts and feelings.
Hawthorne investigates the extent to which we can ever truly know another person and the universal human tendency to judge by appearances while hiding our inherent imperfections and sins.