1. Part One: “The Minister’s Black Veil”
Read the text to find the elements identified in the questions.
Begin thinking about Hawthorne’s view of the this society. Is it positive?

2. Part Two: Research Puritanism
Find information that talks about this society.
Points to get you started:
What did they believe?
What was life like in such a society?
What happened to outsiders?
I recommend the following sites:

3. Part Three: Research Hawthorne
How does he relate to Puritanism?
How does he live his life (look into a place called Brook Farm)?
How similar is his life to Puritan ideals? How different?
What sources did you use here?

4. Part Four: All together now
Craft a thesis that shows how Hawthorne feels about Puritans that relates to one of his life experiences and how that view is seen in “Minister’s Black Veil.”
Provide transition that connects these sentences by linking history of Puritan life to story elements.
Show how Hawthorne was specifically against Puritan life by giving a personal experience from research.
Show how this personal experience relates to a specific element of the story (textual evidence). How does the short story quote show his dislike of this society?
Conclude with what Hawthorne wants to prove about living life this way.