The Reverend Mr. Hooper's focus on hidden sin implies that fully embracing Calvinist theology, as the Puritans did, would result in a rather pessimistic view of life. Investigate the communities in early American Puritan colonies. Did the members of these Puritan communities constantly remind each other of Original Sin and lead bleak, isolated lives similar to Hooper's?

Hawthorne refers to his short story as a parable. Besides the story of Mr. Moody mentioned by Hawthorne in the footnote, could he also be referencing biblical mentions of veils? Examine Exodus 34:30-33, where Moses wears a "vail" to protect his followers from the overwhelming radiance of his face, which glows after being in God's presence for forty days and nights. Also, review II Corinthians 3:7-18, where St. Paul explains the true reason Moses wore the veil. Do these biblical stories provide any insight into Hooper's black veil?

Hawthorne's ancestors were involved in both the persecution of Quakers and the execution of individuals convicted of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1690. Research either of these historical events. Consider reading The Crucible by Arthur Miller, The Salem Witch Trials by Earle Rice, Jr., or Neighbors, Friends, or Madness: The Puritan Adjustment to Quakerism in Seventeenth-Century Massachusetts Bay by Jonathan M. Chu. How did the Puritans treat those who differed from them? What similarities exist between Mr. Hooper and others whom the Puritans opposed?