The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  How does the narrator's description of the "ostentatious laughter" in "The Minister's Black Veil" affect the tone or the author's attitude toward the subject?
  In Hawthorne’s short story “The Minister’s Black Veil,” a New England clergyman appears one Sunday morning wearing a mysterious black veil over his visage. Through descriptions of plot action and...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  Why is it surprising that no one in the congregation talks to Mr. Hooper about the veil when he first starts wearing it? What might this reaction reveal about Puritan society and beliefs?
  Ordinarily, you'd think that Mr. Hooper's parishioners would want to talk to him about his unusual habit of wearing a black veil all the time. After all, it makes him appear rather odd, and truth...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  In "The Minister's Black Veil," what was the subject of Mr. Hooper's sermon on the day he began to wear the veil? How did the veil affect his topic?  
  During the first sermon that Mr. Hooper gives once he begins to wear the veil, he addresses "secret sin, and those sad mysteries which we hide from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  How does the main character of "The Minister's Black Veil" respond to the knowledge of his inner evil? How does this reflect Hawthorne’s attitudes about self-image, guilt, conscience, and pride?
  The protagonist of Hawthorne's classic short story "The Minister's Black Veil" is Mr. Hooper, who decides to wear a black veil, covering his eyes, nose, and the majority of his face. Only Mr....

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  Why is Elizabeth described as a faithful woman in the final scene?
  Elizabeth is Hooper's fiancée. She is generally described as a kind-hearted and loving woman. When Hooper adopts the black veil and refuses to take it off, much of the town turns away from him in...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What foreshadows Mr. Hooper's deathbed scene in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil"?
  Mr. Hooper's deathbed scene is foreshadowed by his conversation with Elizabeth, the woman who he was supposed to marry, at the beginning of the story. When she approaches him to ask directly about...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  How does the author Nathaniel Hawthorne in "The Minister's Black Veil" develop the character of the Reverend Mr. Hooper?
  Hawthorne uses both direct and indirect characterization to disclose the character of the Reverend Mr. Hooper. Direct characterization is the actual physical description of the character. We find...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  How does the black veil in "The Minister's Black Veil" compare to the letter A in The Scarlet Letter?
  As is characteristic of Nathaniel Hawthorne's style, both the black veil of the Reverend Hooper and the scarlet A of Hester Prynne carry a certain ambiguity to them. For, as symbols, they have...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  The narrator calls the human heart the saddest of all prisons. What does this mean?
  Mr. Hooper has spent his whole life loving other people and never experiencing their love in return. He has always worn the black veil, since the first day he put it on, and this has had the effect...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  In one paragraph, can you discuss the positive and negative effects of the minister's notorious veil in "The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne?
  Positive Effects of the Minister's Veil Mr. Hooper's sermon after donning the veil becomes more powerful as it "was tinged, rather more darkly than usual, with the gentle gloom of Mr. Hooper's...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What happens when the group of parishioners visits Mr. Hooper to discuss the veil?
  What at first had seemed nothing more than a harmless eccentricity has now become a source of real disquiet among Mr. Hooper's parishioners. Not to put too fine a point on it, his constant wearing...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What evidence may exist to show that Hooper wears the veil to cover his sin of loving the young woman he buries on the first day he wears the veil?
  While I am not personally persuaded by this claim, I will point out some evidence you might use in order to support it. On the day he begins to wear the black veil, Mr. Hooper gives a particularly...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What literary elements are used in "The Minister's Black Veil"?
  The most obvious is that of symbol. The black veil symbolizes the dark side of all human nature and is intended to make a statement to the congregation of Reverend Hooper. It works as far as...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  How does Mr. Hooper's veil affect the way he views the world around him in "The Minister's Black Veil"? What does this suggest about the veil as a symbol?
  At the beginning of the story, Hawthorne says that the veil Mr. Hooper has adopted "probably did not intercept his sight, further than to give a darkened aspect to all living and inanimate things."...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What would have happened if Rev. Hooper did remove his veil and nothing was different or wrong or disfigured about his face in "The Minister's Back Veil"?
  The general interpretation about why Reverend Hooper wears the black veil in "The Minister's Black Veil" is to symbolically show that he is covering some kind of hidden sin rather than some kind of...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What happened between Elizabeth and the Reverend?
  The minister and his fiancée, Elizabeth, have a fundmanetal difference of opinion on matters of trust, faith, and love. Although the minister apparently begins wearing the veil as an experiment, he...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  Rev. Hooper is described as “a man apart from men” and that the veil has “kept him in that saddest of all prisons, his own heart.” Explain the meaning.
  The Reverend Hooper is a man apart from men in that he is separated from them by the wearing of the black veil. Whatever Hooper's reasons for wearing it, the veil scares and unnerves most of his...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What were some reasons why the villagers were so uncomfortable with the black veil in "The Minister's Black Veil"?
  The villagers give various reasons for their discomfort at seeing their minister wearing a black veil. One says that he cannot believe that the minister's face is behind the veil at all. Another...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What effect does the veil have on others, and why?
  Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "The Minister's Black Veil" is so named because the action centers around a town's minister suddenly wearing a black veil over most of his face. This causes quite...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What are some internal/external conflicts in "The Minister's Black Veil"?
  There are many conflicts within this classic story. The first is between the minister and his congregation. He dons the veil, and this clashes with their needs and expectations. This is directly...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  Besides the veil on Mr. Hooper's face, what other references to other types of veils are mentioned in the story "The Minister's Black Veil"? What does each mean?
  I believe you are referring to Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, "The Minister's Black Veil." In this story, in addition to Mr. Hooper's veil, another veil is referred to when the narrator...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  Describe the setting of the story. What details suggest that the story is set in an earlier time period than when it was published, and what period is it?
  The setting of the short story "The Minister's Black Veil" is a small old village in Milford. According to a footnote, the village is located in New England, perhaps in Connecticut or...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What revelation does Elizabeth experience in "The Minister's Black Veil"?
  Elizabeth realizes that the world will judge Mr. Hooper for the veil even if it's only a sign of an innocent sorrow, as he says. Elizabeth isn't afraid of the veil at first. She says that the only...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What does Hawthorne’s parable show about how communities may treat those who are different or behave?
  American author Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was deeply influenced by the Puritan legacy of New England. He was born and lived out his life in this part of the country. His short story “The...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  How does Mr. Hooper’s conduct on the day that "The Minister's Black Veil" takes place contrast with his normal behavior?
  I am not entirely sure that this question isn't a trick question that looks to force the answer to be a rebuttal. When the story starts, there is something different about Father Hooper. He is...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What emotions does Mr. Hooper evoke in his congregation that he never did? What do you attribute Mr. Hooper's new found ability to affect listeners?
  By donning the veil, Mr. Hooper of "The Minister's Black Veil" creates an ambiguity that thereby leads to interpretation of motive by each member of the congregation. Each member of the...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  Why are the people in Reverend Hooper's congregation confused? 
  The people in Reverend Hooper's congregation are confused because their minister's face is almost entirely obscured by a black veil. The veil appears to consist of two layers of crepe, which...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  Why does Parson Hooper leave the wedding early in "The Minister's Black Veil"? 
  Mr. Hooper leaves the wedding reception early because he caught "a glimpse of his figure in the looking-glass, [and] the black veil involved his own spirit in the horror with which it overwhelmed...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  In "The Minister's Black Veil", who is the nurse at Hoopers deathbed?
  The nurse at Hooper's deathbed is Elizabeth, his former fiancee. Not much mention of Elizabeth is made at this point in the story, other than to name her as the nurse. This may be because it is...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What do we know about Mr. Hooper in "The Minister's Black Veil"?    
  We know that he has a reputation for being "good" as he is called "good Parson Hooper" or "good Mr. Hooper" often by both townspeople and the narrator. Further, the narrator tells us that Mr....

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  In what ways does the veil affect Mr. Hooper's relationship with his congregation?
  The veil affects Mr. Hooper's relationship with his congregation because, initially, the sight of him is so shocking. The veil makes his parishioners quite uncomfortable: they doubt it really is...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What are the roles of social taboos in both stories "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Minister's Black Veil"? 
  A taboo is defined as a forbidden or prohibited practice. Sometimes, social conventions also prohibit connections with certain places, people, or things. These elements are considered taboo, like...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What does Poe refer to when he said, "...a crime of dark dye (having reference to the "young lady") has been committed..." ?
  In "The Minister's Black Veil", the Reverend Mr. Hooper begins to wear a black veil that obscures most of his face, suprising and confusing his congregation. It is strongly suggested that Hooper is...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  In The Minister's Black Veil, what does the phrase "it was now good Father Hooper's turn to rest" mean?
  The phrase "it was now good Father Hooper's turn to rest" means that Mr. Hooper is about to die. In the Puritan-Christian religion, the souls of the righteous, such as Mr. Hooper, go to heaven...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  In "The Minister's Black Veil," what do the characters think and say about the black veil?What do the characters never say about the black veil?What does the author not say about the black veil?Is the obscurity of the symbol itself part of its...
  When Mr Hooper begins to wear the black veil and refuses to take it off, it excites great speculation amongst his parishioners, who eagerly rush to jump to conclusions as to why he might have...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  In "The Minister's Black Veil," what happens to Mr. Hooper when he sees himself in the mirror? 
  Mr. Hooper has chosen to wear a veil, for reasons that are not explained to us. Following a funeral, where it is suggested that he knew the girl who had died, and that this was somehow the reason...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  In Nathanial Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil," how does the veil evoke the theme of the story?
  Reverend Hooper's veil is, of course, the central symbol in the story, and its effects on Hooper's life, the lives of his fiance, Elizabeth, and his congregation are profoundly negative. Indeed,...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  How do secrets play a role in "The Minister's Black Veil"?
  Secrets play a major role in "The Minister's Black Veil"; there are the secret sins of the members of the congregation, sins they fear that the Reverend Mr. Hooper may see from behind his veil, and...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  How does his congregation regard Mr. Hooper before he began wearing the veil? How does the veil reflect his relationship with his congregation?
  Before he began to wear the black veil, Mr. Hooper's congregation regarded him as "a good preacher, but not an energetic one: he strove to win his people heavenward by mild, persuasive influences,...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
   How does Hawthorne develop the symbolic meaning of the veil throughout the story?
  Hawthorne develops the symbolism of the veil by slowly revealing more and more clues about its meaning. Early in the story, the narrative focuses to a great extent on how the veil affects Mr....

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  Please help me draw a plot graph for "The Minister's Black Veil."
  Let us remember for one moment the key elements of a plot graph. In order, they are the exposition, which presents the main characters and the conflict, the rising action, in which a series of...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  Describe the atmosphere in the Milford meeting house before the Reverend Mr. Hooper enters. How does the atmosphere change after he enters? Why?
  Before Mr. Hooper arrives, the mood at the Milford meeting-house is carefree and light. Children, with bright faces, tripped merrily beside their parents [...]. Spruce bachelors looked sidelong...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  In what ways does this parable convey the message that people posses the potential for both good and evil?
  "The Minister's Black Veil" largely conveys the idea that people have the potential for both good and evil through the characterization of Mr. Hooper, the minister, himself. Mr. Hooper is routinely...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What are the two ceremonies that Reverend Hooper directs on the same day? How does the veil affect the mood of each?
  The first ceremony that Reverend Hooper conducts that day is a funeral service. The color of the veil he wears—black—is entirely appropriate for such a sad, somber occasion, even if it still looks...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What is the topic of the first sermon Mr.Hooper gives while wearing the veil?
  The topic of Mr. Hooper's first sermon after he begins to wear the black veil over his face is "secret sin." It refers to Mr. Hooper's belief that we have all committed sins and that we all try to...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What is the tone of "The Minister's Black Veil"?
  Tone is the way an author looks (implied or stated) at an audience or a subject in a text. The tone in Hawthorne's short story "The Minister's Black Veil" is one of doubt. Mr Hooper dons the veil...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What reasons does Hooper give Elizabeth to not desert him? For what reason does he smile after Elizabeth breaks their engagement and leaves?
  Mr. Hooper gives Elizabeth two reasons to stay by his side. First, he says, "'[...] hereafter there shall be no veil over my face, no darkness between our souls! It is but a mortal veil -- it is...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What are the moral conflcits in "The Minister's Black Veil"?
  Your question is interesting because we are never told explicity the reason why Mr. Hooper dons the black veil, except for it being a symbol. Other authors, in particular Poe, have suggested that...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What are examples of pun, homograph, homophone, homonym, and metonym in the story "The Minister's Black Veil"?
  A pun is a play on words that sound alike but have different meanings. When the narrator describes the shocked reaction of Mr. Hooper's congregation, one old man "seemed not fully to partake of the...

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• The Minister's Black Veil
  What evidence in the text hints at or suggests Mr. Hooper's reasons for wearing the black veil?
  The first hint we get about the meaning of the veil is the subject of the first sermon Mr. Hooper delivers after he begins to wear it. "The subject had reference to secret sin, and those sad...

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