Transcript “The Minister`s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

“The Minister’s Black Veil”
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Beginning of the Romantic
Period in American Literature
Discussion Questions
What are various ways
people express heroism?
Discussion Questions
What kind of masks do
we wear?
Discussion Questions
How far would we go to
stand up for something
we believe in?
About the Author
• Nathaniel Hawthorne
(1804-1864) Salem,
Massachusetts
• From prominent Puritan
family
• He felt guilty for sharing
the blood of witchcraft
judge John Hathorne; he
added w to change
name.
• A childhood reader of
poets and romances, he
became a novelist
whose tales dealt with
moral conflicts in
Colonial New England.
• In imaginative,
allegorical fashion, he
dealt with themes of guilt
and secrecy, and
intellectual and moral
pride
• His work shows
Hawthorne's constant
preoccupation with the
effects of Puritanism in
New England, with
recognition of its
decadence.
What is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s best
known work?
• The Scarlet Letter
• Set in the Puritan community, Hester Prynne
bears an illegitimate child
• Prynne is introduced to the ugliness, complexity,
and ultimately the strength of the human spirit.
• The novel contrasted Puritan morality with
passion and individualism.
“The Minister’s Black Veil” Plot Graph
Climax
Inciting
Incident
Exposition
Resolution
Symbolism vs. Allegory
• What is the difference between symbolism
and allegorical characters/objects?
• A symbol can simply represent something
besides itself, but an allegory may have a
deeper meaning or lesson.
• See the Scarlet Letter for an example
 The “A” simply means Adultery, but it
has deeper meanings such as the battle
between Puritan values and
individualism.
Symbolism vs. Allegory
• How can
symbolism
change in a
story?
What is represented
here? How can it
change?
Symbolism vs. Allegory
• A symbol can
simply
represent
something
besides itself,
but an allegory
may have a
deeper
meaning or
lesson.
Literary Elements: Allegory
• Allegory is a form of extended metaphor, in which
objects, persons, and actions in a story or play,
represent particular qualities or ideas, related to
morality, religion or politics.
• Characters are often personifications of abstract
ideas as charity, justice, greed, or envy.
• For example: In The Lord of the Flies, the conch
represented civility and order; while the character
Simon represented peace and nature.
Literary Elements: Mood
• What is mood?
• Mood is the feelings or emotions
created in the reader by the author’s
use of detail.
• For example, authors commonly use
the setting to create the mood.
• The mood is not constant and can
change during the story.
Art and Romanticism
What does this art
tell us about
romanticism?
Art and Romanticism
What is the difference
between the painting
& photograph?
Art and Romanticism
What is the difference
between the painting
& photograph?
More Background: French Revolution
Why
is it important to know when and
how the French Revolution took place?
There are three major reasons why it is
used.
1. Helped to end the
Spanish Inquisition
2. A major factor in
Romanticism
3. Provides exotic setting
(also Romanticism)
What is Romanticism?
Romanticism was an
artistic and intellectual
movement beginning in the
late 18th century that
What is Romanticism?
1. Began with
egalitarian ideas of
the American &
French Revolutions
(ex. all people are
created equal)
2. Belief in the innate
goodness of humans
3. Belief in the heroic
What is Romanticism?
4. Belief in nature (its
beauty & power)
5. Emotion & Senses over
Reason and Intellect
6. Emphasized individual
expression (not
community’s)
7. Interest in medieval &
exotic
About Romanticism
Note the contrast between Romanticism
& Realism
• Romanticism believes heroes die for a
reason or cause — Realism does not.
• Romantics believe we make our own
choices and determine our own destiny
— Realism does not.
• Romanticism believes all men are good
(or can be good) —Realism does not.
Art and Romanticism
Clues for Quiz
1. How is symbolism used in the story?
2. How does symbolism change in the
story?
3. How is time important to the story?
4. How does the protagonist affect other
characters?
5. How is the story allegorical?
Clues for Quiz
6. What is the mood of the story?
7. Why is the veil worn?
8. What are the internal or external
conflicts in the story?
9. What do we learn about the protagonist
at the end of the story?
10. How does this short story exhibit
romanticism?
“The Minister’s Black Veil”
Vocabulary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Throng
Venerable
Countenance
Deputation
Subtle
Antipathy
Profaned
Impertinence
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Sexton
Plighted
Ostentatious
Pathos
Placid
Expedient
Discern
Visage
In class writing assignment
• How does “The Minister’s Black Veil” fit into
the concept of Romanticism?
• Use the book and class notes to answer this
question.
• Put into paragraph form examples, reasons,
and explanations of how this story exhibits
the Romantic philosophy.