“The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne Read the short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Then, reread the lines indicated with each question below. Answer each question, citing text evidence.

1. Lines 11–15: What happens in these lines that begins to build the plot?

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

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

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

5. Lines 101–136: How does the minister’s black veil emphasize his individuality?

6. Lines 119–127: A symbol’s meaning is deepened by how the writer develops it throughout the story. What details hint at a meaning of the black veil that is unique to this story? How do these details suggest emotions deeper than sorrow, or emotions suggestive of a terrible or hidden secret?

7. Lines 142–152: What words and phrases do Hawthorne give in his depiction of the funeral that contributes to the development of a dark—and even spooky—mood?

8. 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?