1. Warming up with "the best of your journals" or "the best line" from "The Minister's Black Veil"
2. Creating Level 1, 2 and 3 questions in small groups
Level 1: Questions about plot (focus on the parts that genuinely confuse you)
- What is a parson?
- How does the community react to Mr. Hooper when he first starts wearing the veil?
Level 2: Questions about characterization, symbols, motifs, and other literary elements inside the text
- Why is it significant that the veil is black?
- What does Hawthorne mean on page 20 when he writes, "the Earth, too, had on her Black Veil"?
Level 3: Deeper thinking, philosophical questions about themes and topics that can be applied to other situations outside the text
- How does American society tend to react to things they don't understand?
3. Enjoying a silent Socratic on "The Minister's Black Veil"
4. Wrapping up with your take-away's from today's Socratic:
- How would you respond to today's focus question?
- What did somebody say/type today that really got you thinking?
- What are you still wondering?
1. FOR TOMORROW: Bring index cards to class on Friday; also, be prepared to share something from your memoir (anywhere between one line and one paragraph).
2. If you'd like to add anything to your journal entry for "The Minister's Black Veil," please do so tonight.
2. If you'd like to add anything to your journal entry for "The Minister's Black Veil," please do so tonight.
3. If you wish to revise the content of your cultural hysteria essay (not just the grammar), you must conference with me.
All revisions and make-up work must be submitted by November 11 (next Fri).
When and where does this story take place?
ReplyDeleteProbably in Puritan times, so 16th-17th century
DeleteIt is in the town of Milford in New England.
DeleteThe setting of the story takes some in a town called Milford, somewhere in New England
DeleteMost readers (including me) find the time period confusing. The story was published in the early 1800s, but there's something about the language/subject matter of the story that makes it feel kind of Puritan (1600s or 1700s). Perhaps Hawthorne is suggesting that the theme of this story is timeless?
DeleteHow did the man in the black veil die?
ReplyDeleteHe died alone keeping the secret of the why he had the black veil to his grave.
DeleteDid they keep his veil on his face when he died?
ReplyDeleteYes they did.
DeleteWhy did they bury him with the black veil on?
ReplyDeleteThey were probably too scared to look at his face
DeleteI think this might be to keep the man how he wanted to be when he died. Obviously he was wearing the black veil for a reason so they probably wanted to keep him that way. Another thought is that they could have been scared of him and didn't want to take off his veil out of fear.
DeleteProbably to represent how adamant he was about keeping the veil on his whole life.
DeleteI agree with Chris I think that they didn't want to see what was under the veil because why would he wear a veil if he wasn't kidding something?
DeleteI wonder how the story would have been different had we seen his face at the end. The first time I read this, I definitely expected some kind of grand reveal at the end. I think Mr. Hooper associates the veil with his earthly life, and his body--dead or live--is part of that earthly life, which is why he chose to keep the veil on.
DeleteI agree with Grant, sometimes its better to leave things a mystery instead of finding the truth that you did not want to know.
DeleteWhy do the people care so much about the veil
ReplyDeleteI think it's because it disturbs their way of life.
DeleteBecause the people n the community were fearful of change, especially with a leader of their community suck as the minister.
DeleteProbably because no one knows why he is wearing it and he won't tell anyone either.
DeleteI think of the uncanny when I read this story. It's still Mr. Hooper, so that part is familiar. But the veil creates something unfamiliar, hidden, and unknowable about him. To me, it's the partnering of what's revealed/familiar and what's hidden/unfamiliar that causes such a disturbance in his community.
DeleteWho was Elizabeth?
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure Elizabeth was Hooper's wife.
DeleteElizabeth was Hoopers fiancé
DeleteI just looked up "plighted," since Elizabeth is described as Hooper's "plighted wife." It means "promised or engaged." So, I think that they were engaged but not actually married; she broke it off before it was finalized.
DeleteWhat does the note at the end of the story mean?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering this too... Im not sure that it is important to the story
DeleteI need to figure out if that note was actually written by Hawthorne. In other versions of the story, it's not there. I'm not sure it really adds much to the story.
DeleteOf all things to cover his face, why a black veil?
ReplyDeleteI like to think of the difference between a white veil and a black veil. Why did he chose a black veil instead of a white veil and what might these represent about Hooper?
DeleteWhy not?
DeleteI think it was very practical. He could still see other people. It was light weight and it reflected his mood.
DeleteBlack is a confusing color that can mean a lot of different things so I could be used not just to cover his face but his personality too.
DeleteHi Henry, I think that the whole situation of him wearing a mask is pretty fishy, but the mask being black confirms some things for me. I couldn't find anywhere in the story where it explains why he wore the veil, so my theory is that he is hiding something. I think he might be ashamed of something he did in the past and doesn't want to be associated with the person he used to be.
DeleteThe black veil is something people wear at funerals and represents death, maybe Hooper knew he was going to die so this was some sort of sad symbolism
DeleteI like the responses above. I also think about black as the absence of color. The people--especially the "sinners"--project their own sadness, mistakes, sins, etc. onto the mask. So to me, black = blank. Makes for a good mirror.
DeleteWhy did he decide to put on the veil?
ReplyDeleteThe story doesn't really say
DeleteWe never find out the specific reason, but we do know that obviously he had something to hide, and was very serious about people not seeing it.
DeleteWhy don’t the people just ask Hooper why he is doing this?
ReplyDeleteMaybe because they are scared to talk to him, they are scared that he has changed and is a different person.
DeleteElizabeth tries and Mr. Hooper tells her that he is doing it to show his sorrow but he doesn't tell us why he is sad
DeleteAlthough in the story, Hooper dies unexpectedly, do you think there is a deeper meaning to why he died?
ReplyDeleteI think it represents the towns inability to accept change. Maybe this story was written to guide society towards the authors desired change.
DeleteWhat is Mr. Hooper’s relationship to Elizabeth?
ReplyDeleteI think his wife?
DeleteI think that they are husband and wife.
DeleteShe's the wife.
DeleteElizabeth was his fiancé
DeleteShe's his Fiance
DeleteFiance
DeleteI see people saying that Elizabeth was his wife or is his wife, and she was his fiance or is his fiance. Which one is it
DeleteFiance.
DeleteWhat is the pastor going through that he cannot express his feelings?
ReplyDeleteThe death of a loved one or maybe he had to leave part of himself behind.
DeleteIt could just be that he's lost touch with himself. If you don't know how to communicate with yourself, how can you expect to be able to communicate with others what is going on.
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ReplyDeleteHow does a walk that he does everyday now seem evil with the only change being that good Mr. Hooper has a black veil on
ReplyDeleteI think that the veil might represent Hooper's thoughts. Before people could see his expression and now he is hiding something as if he doesn't want anyone inside
DeleteThe black veil to the people may be seen as a dark symbol for something, so whenever they see him wearing it he will seem dark and evil.
DeleteThe veil could represent a darkness that Mr. Hooper has experienced and changed his demeanor
DeleteIts tied in with the poem we read yesterday about "Why we wear the mask." We wear the mask to hide things we don't want others to know or see. Everyone can now clearly see that something is being hidden by Mr. Hopper thus the reason for fright.
DeleteWhy don't we find out why he covered his face?
ReplyDeleteI think it's so that we can all put ourselves into his place.
DeleteI think that is part of the story but I think that he is hiding what he really looks like because he does't want anybody to know what he is hiding. It says "secret sin".
DeleteI think the author doesn't want us to know why he covers his face because it creates more fear then if we knew why he wore the mask
DeleteI think the author wrote the story like that on purpose.
DeleteHe kinda explains it a little bit, he says he wears it because everyone wears them. He says "I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!" and he is mad that nobody acknowledges anyone's veil but his own.
DeleteI think it's similar to seeing a characters face in a movie. Before seeing the face, your imagination has generated an idea of what the character looks like, but once you see the character in the movie, all of the mystery goes away.
DeleteWhy do the villagers bury Mr. Hooper without removing the veil?
ReplyDeleteThey probably didn't want to see his face.
DeleteMaybe because they feared what might be underneath. All this time he was hiding something, now that he was dead, no one wanted to know what it was
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ReplyDeleteIt doesn't mention that it isn't him, so yes
DeleteI think that we do know because of the way he talks to Elizabeth
DeleteWhy does Hooper choose to do this when he did? What changed?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the "secret sin" that Mr. Hooper mentions?
ReplyDeleteI think the secret sin is a sin that he had but no one else knew of it.
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ReplyDeleteThat's what I thought when I read that line. It seems like he is ashamed of something he's done and doesn't want anyone else to know about it.
DeleteI don't think that's what he means, I think that he's saying that he is filled with grief and that if he is covering up his grief what person with similar struggles wouldn't do the same
DeleteDo you think keeping the veil on at all times made his condition worse?
ReplyDeleteYes because it blocked him from the outer world and he had nobody to talk to.
DeleteWhy do the townspeople start to fear Hooper
ReplyDeleteI think it's because of the sorrow he hides with the vail.
DeleteI think the townspeople start to fear Mr. Hooper because he was such a looked up to figure until he started to wear the veil. I think that this caused some sort of hysteria around the veil.
DeleteI think they start to fear Hooper because it is human nature. Starting from the unit in cultural hysterias, we learned about how it is natural for people to fear the unknown. So in this case, the unknown is what is under his veil
DeleteHow long did he wear the black veil?
ReplyDeleteWhat does Mr. Hooper mean when he says, “It is but a mortal veil-- it is not for eternity!”? Is he saying that they will be together after he dies?
ReplyDeleteI think that if the veil represents a sin that he had committed (which the story hints at) then when he says it is only a mortal veil that means that when he dies the sin will go away, and for now he has to wear the veil to hide that sin.
DeleteMaybe he's referring to something more spiritual. That once we enter heaven, we become our true self
DeleteDo they actually know if it's him behind the black veil?
ReplyDeleteA veil doesn't cover up your entire face, so yes I think they knew. And in the story, they said that the the black veils speech had elements from Mr. Hooper's previous speeches.
DeleteHow does this story relate to the poem, "We Wear the Mask?"
ReplyDeleteThe veil is a visible representation of the figurative mask that everyone wears in life.
DeleteThe vail is the ministers mask the he uses to express his pain.
DeleteI think that they relate because in both writings they try and push the idea of how we hide what society doesn't like about us
DeleteI think in Dunbar's poem, the mask is intended to hide the truth. In this story, I think the mask is meant to reveal a truth. Hawthorne has a number of sentences that suggest that we all wear the veil, which is similar to Dunbar's assertion that we all wear the mask. However, I think Mr. Hooper is wearing the veil as a kind of mirror, intended for the people to look in and see the repressed parts of themselves.
DeleteWhat does the black veil represent?
ReplyDeleteI think the veil represents the "secret sin" that everyone holds onto
Deletedo we know for a fact that its him behind the veil
ReplyDeleteI think so because of the way he talks to Elizabeth.
DeleteDo you think that his sorrow has to do with the persecution of the "witches"
ReplyDeleteInteresting...I wonder sometimes if Nathaniel Hawthorne feels a sort of residual guilt from what his grandfather did. Maybe "guilt" is too strong a word...I think he's deeply invested in what happened in late 17th century New England.
DeleteWhat does it mean that his face was hidden from the public
ReplyDeleteNo one was able to see his face or the expressions on his face, so they could not really tell what was going on with him or how he was feeling
DeleteIt seemed like Father Hooper wore the veil to prove something to the people of his ministry. But what's the point if the ministry never knew what he was trying to prove?
ReplyDeleteThat we can all wear masks and morne in our own way.
DeleteHow old was he when he died?
ReplyDeleteHe had a fiance, but was not yet married and didn't have kids, so I think he was in his 20s-early 30s
DeleteWhy is it significant that the veil is black?
ReplyDeleteI think it is black maybe because black kinda represents secrets and evil and thats what Hooper was trying to convey
DeleteWhat made the man in the veil scary to other people?
ReplyDeleteI feel as if they were just shocked and confused all at the same time and it made them angry and scared that he wouldn't tell them why.
DeleteNot being able to see his face because I think a big fear of people is the unknown
DeleteThey weren't used to seeing Hooper in the veil and they are pretty traditional people so this big sudden change was very scary
DeleteI think it was scary for them because a man wearing a black veil like Hooper was out of the norm and no one knew why he was wearing it.
Deletehow does the veil benefit him?
ReplyDeleteIt hides his face. Maybe he's afraid to show his face because of something that happened in the past.
DeleteI dont think the veil benefits him
DeleteI think the veil is there to comfort him so people don't have to see what he's trying to hide. I also think the veil is hurting him because he's avoiding his fears. He doesn't want to take off the veil and the longer he waits the more and more he worries about how other people are going to react.
DeleteWhy does the black veil change who Hooper is in the eyes of the people?
ReplyDeletemaybe the veil only changes Hooper in his eyes and changes nothing to the viewer
DeleteOn page 17 the old woman says, "He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face." I'm still confused on this too, but it might be because he is not willing to show his face in public and he is leaving the people to think of all the possibilities of why he wears the black veil. And the people are quick to assume the worst of why he is wearing it
DeleteWhat do you think "secret sin" uncover about the story?
ReplyDeleteIs the "sad smile" a symbol? I feel like its mentioned more than once
ReplyDeleteIt is mentioned multiple times. I think it could just be showing how Hooper has changed and how now he is sad and lonely.
DeleteI think is talking about the mask that he wearing and he is just putting on smile because he doesn't show any emotion.
DeleteThis line reminds me a lot of "We Wear the Mask". It shows that for every positive expression, there is a negative one hiding underneath. These negative feelings express what someone is really feeling as opposed to what the "mask" is portraying.
DeleteWhat is the significance of the line: “All of us shall cast aside our veils”
ReplyDeleteAll of us should remove the mask we wear and show our true selves maybe? The mask is some sort of statement?
DeleteI think he's simply pointing out the fact that they are all carrying sorrow behind their metaphorical veils and they need to cast them aside and he's almost saying let the people see you in a vulnerable state
DeleteOn page 21, what do you think Elizabeth means when she says "But what if the world will not believe that it is the type if an innocent sorrow?"
ReplyDeleteWhat does the color black symbolize in the story?
ReplyDeleteI think black in general symbolizes the idea of blocking out all light. It doesn't allow us to see anything through it which presents the question of whats behind what the color is covering.
Delete“He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face.” How does this quote relate to the true meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteI think that this quote can relate to the uncanny affect that the veil had on the town. I think that it caused some sort of hysteria between the townspeople. This hysteria got so much attention that even his wife Elizabeth left him.
DeleteThe hiding of his face is most likely a symbolism for hiding his emotions. When someone hides how they really feel, they become a mysterious stranger, which is especially scary for the small town folks of the church
DeleteThe quote is saying he changed into a bad person by hiding his true self.
DeleteDo you guys think he was waiting from the people to accept him with the veil on but, because they never did he died? And only after he died they accepted him; that is why they left the veil on when they buried him?
ReplyDeleteI don't think he planned his death like that
DeleteThat's actually a good point. I agree with you Mya.
DeleteOn page 17 an old women says "He has changed himself into something awful, only by hiding his face." how is a simple piece of cloth completely distorting his appearance to those around him
ReplyDeleteThey can't tell what emotions he has, and its unfamiliar to them.
DeleteMaybe because we look at faces in order to decipher between emotions.
DeleteI don't think that people should focus on his appearance but more on his actions.
DeleteHe was hiding his eyes and people can see your emotion through your eyes. Emotion is a trait that symbolizes life. By hiding his eyes, he was almost a ghost
DeleteI think it's the fact that there's mystery behind it. People are suspicious when something is out of the norm especially with something like a black veil that to many symbolizes mourning or death. If you were to walk down the street and see an everyday person just wearing a black veil I think many thoughts would run through your head as well and that it would change how you thought of them.
DeleteWhy don’t people try to understand why Hooper is doing this? instead they just talk about him to each other
ReplyDeleteI think it is because they don't completely trust him now that his face is hidden from them.
DeleteI also agree with Chris, they also might be afraid to talk to him.
DeleteBecause it's easier to ignore one mans sorrow.
DeleteDifferent from what Chris said, maybe they have this odd respect for the minister and don't want to question him?
DeleteI was wondering the same thing... I think that part of it is that he never really reveals anything about himself so he is wearing the mask.
DeleteOn page 19, it says that when the pastor bent over the corpse, it shuddered. The only person to see this though was a superstitious lady. Did that really happen, or was it the imagination of that lady?
ReplyDeleteWhat point is he trying to prove by not telling anybody why he is wearing the veil? I know he might be embarrassed, but he wouldn't even tell Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteMaybe because his thinks the answer to that question will change people's opinion about him
DeleteI wouldn't want to spoil the surprise if I were going to do something so change-oriented in a place and time that rejected all change. I think he was the same way.
DeleteI think he's just running away from whatever happened and not trying to accept the fact. He might not want to talk about it because he feels if he does he will be accepting whatever is going on with him.
DeleteIs the veil for him or his viewer?
ReplyDeleteGreat question!
DeleteI think the veil is his way of hiding his emotions/ feelings
DeleteI agree with Elle. I think he's hiding behind the shadows of the veil because he is unwilling to accept what happened.
DeleteMs. Leclaire just posted this as a reply, "I just looked up "plighted," since Elizabeth is described as Hooper's "plighted wife." It means "promised or engaged." So, I think that they were engaged but not actually married; she broke it off before it was finalized." Why do you think Elizabeth broke off the engagement before it was finalized?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it was because he would not take off the veil in front of her. And how could he be her husband if he wasn't willing to talk to her about his feelings or rough patches?
DeleteWhy did he choose a veil to cover his face? And what significance does that item have?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it relates to death or darkness, since black veils are worn at funerals
DeleteWas Mr. Hooper wearing the metaphorical mask? Or did he take it off?
ReplyDeleteI don't think he ever did take the metaphorical mask off because he never tells anyone the real reason he is wearing it and he even dies with it on
DeleteThey are scared of what he is hiding, so they distance themselves from him.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the black veils that people are wearing today?
ReplyDeletePeople hid behind their cell phones and become a new person. This is almost a way for him to secure his identity and that is scary for the people in the story like online anonymity is scary for us today
Delete“But what if the world will not believe that it is the type of an innocent sorrow?” pg. 21 Could this possibly connect with the girls and how they are dressed so innocent in the horror movies?
ReplyDeleteWhat in our lives is so terrible that we can’t express?
ReplyDeleteWhat does this story prove about cultural hysterias?
ReplyDeleteThat we can't except change.
DeleteI agree with chris, but also that people don't know how to handle change and its something that a lot of people fear
DeleteThis proves about how cultural hysterias are built from people fearing the unknown. Then after that fear builds, they fill other people in on what they are scared about. This grows and grows, and suddenly many people are scared of the same unknown
DeleteWhat themes do Mr. Hoopers last words represent?
ReplyDeleteWhat are examples of wearing the mask in our daily life?
ReplyDeleteI think people hide what they are most ashamed of from other people and they put on a mask to make others think that there is nothing wrong with them
Deleteafter Elizabeth leaves the story says
ReplyDelete"Mr. Hooper smiled to think that only a material emblem had separated him from happiness, through the horrors, which it shadowed forth, must be drawn darkly between the fondest of lovers."
By wearing this mask Hooper sacrificed his friends, his wife, and the respect of his community. Why did he give it all up to wear this veil?
I think at a certain point he realized there was no turning back and decided to keep it.
DeleteWhy do we fear when people wear the mask but we never bother to ask what is under the mask?
ReplyDeleteBecause they people are even more scared of what could be under it maybe.
DeleteWe never bother to ask because we're scared to begin with
DeleteMaybe it's because they wear the mask. Your attitude changes and it's like asking a whole new person.
DeleteDoes everyone wear a mask at some point in their life?
ReplyDeleteI think there are multiple points in everyone's lives when they wear the mask
DeleteI think as humans, we do. I feel everyone has had a time in their life where they put on a "mask" to hide their true emotions in that moment.
DeleteWhy are humans afraid of what they cant see (otherwise known as the unknown)?
ReplyDeleteWe can't control the darkness, we can't control the unknown, we can't except it unless we have been pushed out and left behind.
DeleteHas the rise of the internet helped or hurt the metaphorical veil?
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely hurt the metaphorical veil because the internet is like talking to someone through a wall. Often times people feel more comfortable saying things on the internet than they do in person.
DeleteWhat does this story say about human behavior when confronted with something unfamiliar?
ReplyDeleteDo you think, since Mr. Hooper was a minister, his black veil had an effect on his sermons?
ReplyDeleteOn page 19 one of the ladies at the congregation said "I would not be alone with him for the world. I wonder he is not afraid to be alone with himself." what does she mean by this
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think the townspeople took away from Hooper's life after he died?
ReplyDeleteWhy do people distrust things that they can't relate to?
ReplyDeleteI think he was trying to prove a point or show something
ReplyDelete