11th / The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne (Short Story).

Lines 142-152: What words and phrases does Hawthorne give in his depiction of the funeral that contribute to the development of a dark—and even spooky—mood?

"Dead maiden," "closed forever," "the corpse had slightly shuddered, rustling the shroud".

Lines 158-164: What detail develops the symbolic meaning of the veil more deeply in these lines? What is "the dreadful hour"? What veil is snatched from their faces?

"The dreadful hour that should snatch the veil from their faces". Death. The veil that hides their sins, or their true natures.

Lines 301-309: How does the symbol of the veil directly affect the lives of the minister and Elizabeth?

Because the minister will not remove the veil, Elizabeth refuses to continue her relationship with him [lines 301-303]; the minister recognizes how the veil has separated him from happiness but he refuses to stop wearing it as a symbol [lines 306-309].

Lines 40-52: What evidence in these lines suggests this story could be classified under Dark Romanticism?

Creates a sense of mystery and fear about what is behind the black veil; phrases like "something awful," "gone mad," and "unaccountable phenomenon" associate the veil with possible evil, insanity, or the unknown.

Lines 63-98: What clues to the theme of the story are in these lines?

Details that suggest the power of the veil to create mystery and to obscure, such as "mysterious emblem," "threw its obscurity between him and the holy page" [line 65]; "Did he seek to hide from the dread Being whom he was addressing?" [lines 67-68]; and "The subject had reference to secret sin, and those sad mysteries which we hide from our nearest and dearest" [lines 82-84].

Lines 419-430: Why does Mr. Clark want to remove Mr. Hooper's veil?

In lines 421-428, Mr. Clark says that he wants to remove the veil in order to remove a shadow from the face of someone who has lived a good life. He may also be curious about what Mr. Hooper is hiding and what he looks like.

Mr. Hooper´s conversation with Elizabeth is the first time that readers learn about Mr. Hooper from his own words. What insight does this conversation provide about Mr. Hooper´s character?

It reveals that he is committed to wearing the veil and willing to accept the consequences of his decision.

What themes do Mr. Hooper´s last words and the final image in the story suggest? Quote and paraphrase the text in your response.

Mr. Hooper's last words include a reference to man giving up his sins to his Creator (lines 452-453) and "'On every visage a Black Veil!'" (line 455). These lines suggest the theme that everyone is guilty of sin. The final image of his face mouldering beneath the black veil suggests the theme that the sins represented by the veil cannot be removed.

What evidence in the text hints at or suggests Mr. Hooper´s reasons for wearing the black veil? What affect does the ambiguity, or uncertainty, surrounding the veil add to the overall meaning of the story?

Some hints come during Mr. Hooper's dialogue with Elizabeth. (lines 268-273). Ambiguity gives the symbol more power by suggesting the complexity of human emotion.

Lines 187-195: How does this image contribute to your understanding of theme in the story?

The image helps develop the idea that the black veil has a broader significance, a "darkness" that applies to all humankind, not just to the minister. It is as if the minister's dark emotions had spread to define the entire world, representing the power of an individual's emotions or subjective experience to color the world around him.

Lines 249-253: What two additional symbols appear in these lines? What do these two objects symbolize?

The sun and the cloud [line 251]. The sun symbolizes openness or cheerfulness, and the cloud symbolizes secrecy or sadness.

What does the veil symbolize? Cite specific details from the story to support your interpretation.

The veil might symbolize a hidden sin, as this line suggests: "from beneath the black veil there rolled a cloud into the sunshine, an ambiguity of sin or sorrow" (lines 335-336).

Lines 244-248: Compare the description of the veil in these lines to the words "black veil" used elsewhere to describe the same object.

The words "but a double fold of crape" make the veil sound like an ordinary piece of cloth, while the words "black veil" have negative connotations associated with death and secrecy.

Lines 24-40: What is the purpose of a veil? What are some possible symbolic meanings of the color black?

To hide, to gain privacy, to promote modesty. mystery, sorrow, mourning, or something hidden or secret.