“The Minister’s Black Veil” By Nathaniel Hawthorne Tuesday October 4th “The Minister’s Black Veil” By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Secret Sin… Bell Ringer Everyone has a secret of something he/she has done that no one else knows about. Think about these secrets and why we have them, why we keep them. Write down something secret that you know of that either yourself or someone else has done but has been kept a secret. DO NOT mention who this might be; this is meant to be a creative lead-in to the story we are reading, not a chance for you to get upset with each other. KEEP IT SCHOOL APPROPRIATE PLEASE.

“The Minister’s Black Veil” Terms: Parable- short story designed to teach some truth or moral lesson Symbol- person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself and also stands for something more than itself

Who are the Puritans? What do they believe? The idea of personal Biblical interpretation through the Holy Spirit was central to Puritan beliefs, and the Puritans sought both individual and corporate conformity to the teaching of the Bible, with moral purity pursued down to the smallest detail. They believed that man existed for the glory of God, that his first concern in life was to do God's will and so to receive future happiness. Puritans believed in the active existence of demonic forces, as did almost all Christians of this period. Puritan pastors undertook exorcisms for demonic possession in some high-profile cases, and believed in some allegations of witchcraft. The devil was behind every evil deed. Constant watch needed to be kept in order to stay away from his clutches. Words of hell fire and brimstone flowed from the mouths of eloquent ministers as they warned of the persuasiveness of the devil's power. The sermons of Jonathan Edwards, a Puritan minister, show that delivery of these sermons became an art form. This constant subjection of the probability of an unseen danger led to a scandal of epidemic proportions.

Who are the Puritans? Family life Based on Biblical portrayals of Adam and Eve, Puritans believed that marriage was rooted in procreation, love, and, most importantly, salvation. Husbands were the spiritual heads of the household, while women were to demonstrate religious piety and obedience under male authority. Furthermore, marriage represented not only the relationship between husband and wife, but also the relationship between spouses and God. Puritan husbands commanded authority through family direction and prayer. The female relationship to her husband and to God was marked by submissiveness and humility. The paradox created by female inferiority in the public sphere and the spiritual equality of men and women in marriage, then, gave way to the informal authority of women concerning matters of the home and childrearing. With the consent of their husbands, wives made important decisions concerning the labor of their children, property, and the management of inns and taverns owned by their husbands. Thomas Gataker describes Puritan marriage as: “... together for a time as copartners in grace here, [that] they may reigne together forever as coheires in glory hereafter.”

Who are the Puritans? Restrictions & Pleasures The Plymouth Colony Puritans of New England disapproved of Christmas celebrations, as did some other Protestant churches of the time. Celebration was outlawed in Boston from 1659. The ban was revoked in 1681 by the English-appointed governor Edmund Andros, who also revoked a Puritan ban on festivities on Saturday nights. Nevertheless, it was not until the mid-19th century that celebrating Christmas became fashionable in the Boston region. Likewise, the colonies banned many secular entertainments on moral grounds, such as games of chance, maypoles, and drama (plays). They were not, however, opposed to drinking alcohol in moderation. Laws banned the practice of individuals toasting each other, with the explanation that it led to wasting God's gift of beer and wine, as well as being carnal. Bounds were not set on enjoying sexuality within the bounds of marriage, as a gift from God. In fact, spouses were disciplined if they did not perform their sexual marital duties, in accordance with 1 Corinthians 7 and other biblical passages. Women and men were equally expected to fulfill marital responsibilities. Women and men could file for divorce based on this issue alone. In Massachusetts colony, which had some of the most liberal colonial divorce laws, one out of every six divorce petitions was filed on the basis on male impotence.

“The Minister’s Black Veil” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edUrB2awD5k Collections Textbook Pg. 235 - 246