Introducing the Story Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism Literary Skills Focus: Literary Perspectives Reading Skills Focus: Drawing Inferences Writing Skills Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer Feature Menu The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Where does an individual find inspiration? The Sermon by Julius Gari Melchers The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Click on the title to start the video. The Minister’s Black Veil Introducing the Story

Would people be comfortable... The Minister’s Black Veil Introducing the Story... if we knew the contents of each other’s souls?

Mr. Hooper, a young Puritan clergyman, shocks his congregation by appearing at the church one Sunday in a black veil. Why, the people wonder fearfully, is their minister hiding his face? Is the veil related to the topic of Mr. Hooper’s sermon—secret sin? [End of Section] The Minister’s Black Veil Introducing the Story

A symbol is something that has meaning in itself also stands for something beyond itself peace passage of time love The Minister’s Black Veil Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism

Hawthorne, like other Dark Romantics, used symbolism in his writing. The central symbol in this story is a black veil. Descriptions of the veil suggest its symbolic importance. “horrible” “dismal shade” “mysterious emblem” The veil “darkly separates the wearer from the world.” The Minister’s Black Veil Literary Skills Focus: Symbolism

The Sermon by Julius Gari Melchers The Minister’s Black Veil Literary Skills Focus: Analyzing Historical Context Thinking about historical context helps you understand the culture of the time. In Puritan New England, sin was a frequent sermon topic. How might the Puritans’ focus on sin and guilt have affected their emotions and actions? [End of Section]

When you read a story, you draw inferences about characters and events. An inference is an educated guess based on details in the text your own knowledge and experience The Minister’s Black Veil Reading Skills Focus: Drawing Inferences

How can you infer the mood on the Sunday morning in Milford as the story begins? “Children, with bright faces, tripped merrily beside their parents, or mimicked a graver gait, in the conscious dignity of their Sunday clothes. Spruce bachelors looked sidelong at the pretty maidens, and fancied that the Sabbath sunshine made them prettier than on weekdays.” From these details you can infer that the mood is lighthearted. “Children, with bright faces, tripped merrily beside their parents, or mimicked a graver gait, in the conscious dignity of their Sunday clothes. Spruce bachelors looked sidelong at the pretty maidens, and fancied that the Sabbath sunshine made them prettier than on weekdays.”

Into Action As you read, keep a chart like the one below to record your inferences about characters, events, and symbols. My Inferences My Knowledge Details “Children, with bright faces, tripped merrily”; “bachelors looked sidelong at the pretty maidens.” Many of the words have a lighthearted, pleasant connotation. The mood in Milford is cheerful and happy. The Minister’s Black Veil Reading Skills Focus: Drawing Inferences [End of Section]

Find It in Your Reading The black veil is the principal symbol in this story. The Minister’s Black Veil Writing Skills Focus: Think As a Reader/Writer As you read, notice how the author suggests the veil’s meanings by describing the way it affects Mr. Hooper’s view of the world the congregation’s view of Mr. Hooper

Vocabulary

The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary obscurity n.: darkness. iniquity n.: wickedness. ostentatious adj.: deliberately attracting notice. inanimate adj.: lifeless. antipathy n.: strong dislike. plausibility n.: believability. pensively adv.: thoughtfully or seriously.

The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary Those inanimate objects which can be easily replaced are not highly valued. Which of these inanimate objects might be hardest to replace?

The surprised security officer was compelled to ask, “Is everything in your luggage inanimate?” What might the officer have noticed? a.a lump b.heaviness c.meowing The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary

Not everyone depends on the spotlight for happiness, but few like to work in obscurity. You are aware of obscurity when the lights literally go out, but you may also sense a kind of darkness if you are not noticed or recognized.

The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary Unlike some writers, Hawthorne did not have to toil in obscurity. A writer or artist often first creates in obscurity, until the quality of the work is recognized.

The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary A circus today would be considered reasonable and tame entertainment for the family... hardly a den of iniquity. What features does this clown have, however, that suggest wickedness, or iniquity?

The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary The word iniquity is old-fashioned, but the concept of wickedness is common enough today. Which of these people looks the least likely to be guilty of any iniquity? A B C

The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary The word ostentatious suggests an outward appearance created for the express purpose of showing off.

While the word ostentatious can carry a negative connotation, a show-off quality is often appreciated in public buildings. The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary Which is more ostentatious, the opera house in Sidney or the arch in St. Louis?

The adverb pensively suggests that someone has some deep thinking to do. thoughtful meditative eager deceitful lighthearted serious harsh jealous The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary A poet pensively considering a sonnet is probably in what kind of mood?

Before Angela accepted the promotion, she and her siblings considered the impact of a move. The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary They each reflected pensively on how they would stay close from a greater distance.

The word antipathy suggests a dislike that is somewhat milder than deep hatred. The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary Melton’s hostility toward classmates is only fleeting. What might help him forget his antipathy?

The word antipathy brings to mind several words built on the root –path, meaning feeling. The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary Match the following prefix/root combinations with their meanings: apathy antipathy empathy shared feeling no feeling hostile feeling

Marianne enjoys inviting partners onto the dance floor... The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary but can there be any plausibility to the rumor she’s an extraterrestrial who makes dancers disappear between the waltz and the cha-cha?

The Minister’s Black Veil Vocabulary One may imagine a bizarre and unbelievable scenario, only to find that the natural world functions with equally astounding results. If you had never seen a gyroscope before, would you doubt the plausibility of such incredible balance? [End of Section]

The End

QuickWrite

The Minister’s Black Veil QuickWrite The narrator of this story remarks that the “saddest of all prisons” is a person’s own heart. In a paragraph or two, reflect on what this means and how such “imprisonment” might inspire one to think or behave. [End of Section]

Meet the Writer

Although he struggled both creatively and financially, Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804– 1864) earned recognition as a writer and the admiration of his contemporaries. Still, his dark insights into the human heart seemed to reflect an inner gloom that he never overcame. more about the writer [End of Section] The Minister’s Black Veil Meet the Writer

Build Background

Like much of Hawthorne’s best work, this story is set in the time of his Puritan ancestors, an era noted for its gloom and piety. According to Hawthorne, the black veil—although not its meaning in the story—is based on the eccentricity of a real person. A New England clergyman named Mr. Joseph Moody accidentally killed a beloved friend. From that day until his death, he hid his face from other people. The Minister’s Black Veil Build Background

Hawthorne’s subtitle, “A Parable,” indicates the importance of the story’s moral theme. A parable is a short, usually simple storyparable based on events from ordinary life containing a moral lesson The Minister’s Black Veil [End of Section] Build Background

One of the most famous parables is that of the Good Samaritan, who stops and helps a stranger who has been robbed and beaten. Today we still call caring strangers good Samaritans. Famous Parables The Good Samaritan by Vincent van Gogh, after Delacroix The Minister’s Black Veil Build Background

Read with a Purpose

Read to learn how a minister’s decision to cover his face with a black veil affects his congregation’s views of guilt and sin. The Minister’s Black Veil [End of Section]