1. “The Minister’s Black Veil”
By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Page 299

2. Who are the Puritans? What do they believe?
What do they believe?
What are they like as people?
If their society was a “utopia,” what rules and ideals would govern it?

3. Terms
Parable- short story designed to teach some truth or moral lesson
Symbol- person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself and also stands for something more than itself

4. What is their effect? Why do we keep them a secret?
Secret Sin…
Everyone has a secret of something he/she has done that no one else knows about. Think about these secrets and why we have them, why we keep them.
What is their effect? Why do we keep them a secret?

5. Secret Sin Activity
Write down something secret that you know of that either yourself or someone else has done but has been kept a secret.
DO NOT mention who this might be; this is meant to be a creative lead-in to the story we are reading, not a chance for you to get upset with each other.

6. Read “The Minister’s Black Veil”
Pages
As you are reading, complete the reading worksheet that accompanies this reading. These are basic comprehension questions that you only need read the story to answer; they don’t ask you to infer or guess anything.

7. Discuss What is one symbol in “The Minister’s Black Veil”?
What does it represent?
Do you agree/disagree that everyone has a secret sin?
What do you and Mr. Hooper have in common?

8. Story Questions: Assessment
Complete questions
3, 6, 7, 8, and 9 on page 308.
Turn in one sheet
for both people.

9. Story Questions: Assessment
Do the reading check on page 308.
Also complete questions
3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

10. Partner Questions
Working with a partner, do the reading check on page 308.
Also complete questions 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
Turn in one sheet for both people.

11. Writing Activity
Because of Mr. Hooper’s constant wearing of the veil, people are feeling guilty and beginning to confess their “secret sins” to one another.
Working independently, write a confession in which you pretend you are 1) Mr. Hooper himself or 2) a parishioner in Mr. Hooper’s church. Write a confession of a “secret sin” that you will read before the congregation of the church (i.e. your classmates). This is made up—be appropriate.
This should be at least one solid paragraph of 6+ sentences. Explain what your sin is, why you did it, and how you are going to change so you are sure to not do it again.

12. What did you do that was so awful??
Writing Activity
Pretend you are Father Hooper. You are writing to Elizabeth “from the grave” and telling her why you wore the black veil. You know she is dying to know… So you tell her about your secret sin.
What did you do that was so awful??

13. Vocabulary Sagacious- wise; practical Obscurity- uncertainty; dimness
Pensive- thoughtful
Plausible- reasonable
Resolute- firm; stubborn
Conspicuous- obvious
Disposition- attitude
Peevish- irritable; crabby