The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Question

The cause of so much amazement may appear sufficiently slight. Mr. Hooper, a gentlemanly person of about thirty, though still a bachelor, was dressed with due clerical neatness, as if a careful wife had starched his band and brushed the weekly dust from his Sunday’s garb. There was but one thing remarkable in his appearance. Swathed about his forehead and hanging down over his face, so low as to be shaken by his breath, Mr. Hooper had on a black veil. On a nearer view, it seemed to consist of two folds of crape, which entirely concealed his features except the mouth and chin, but probably did not intercept his sight further than to give a darkened aspect to all living and inanimate things. With this gloomy shade before him good Mr. Hooper walked onward at a slow and quiet pace, stooping somewhat and looking on the ground, as is customary with abstracted men, yet nodding kindly to those of his parishioners who still waited on the meeting-house steps. But so wonder-struck were they that his greeting hardly met with a return.

[Mr. Hooper] entered with an almost noiseless step, bent his head mildly to the pews on each side and bowed as he passed his oldest parishioner, a white-haired great grandsire, who occupied an armchair in the centre of the aisle. It was strange to observe how slowly this venerable man became conscious of something singular in the appearance of his pastor. He seemed not fully to partake of the prevailing wonder till Mr. Hooper had ascended the stairs and showed himself in the pulpit, face to face with his congregation except for the black veil. That mysterious emblem was never once withdrawn. It shook with his measured breath as he gave out the psalm, it threw its obscurity between him and the holy page as he read the Scriptures, and while he prayed the veil lay heavily on his uplifted countenance. Did he seek to hide it from the dread Being whom he was addressing?

Use the passage from “The Minister’s Black Veil” to answer the question.

How does the author simultaneously develop the themes of hidden sin and underlying guilt in the passage?

(1 point)
Responses

by examining the role of the congregation to highlight the importance of forgiveness
by examining the role of the congregation to highlight the importance of forgiveness

by using sensory language to capture the emotional experience of Mr. Hooper upon his arrival at the church
by using sensory language to capture the emotional experience of Mr. Hooper upon his arrival at the church

by contrasting the terrifying nature of Mr. Hooper's appearance with his persuasive style of speaking
by contrasting the terrifying nature of Mr. Hooper's appearance with his persuasive style of speaking

by emphasizing the growing unease among the congregation at Mr. Hooper's appearance and the message of his sermon

Answer 1

The correct response is:

by emphasizing the growing unease among the congregation at Mr. Hooper's appearance and the message of his sermon.

In the passage, the congregation's reaction to Mr. Hooper's black veil illustrates their discomfort and the underlying theme of hidden sin and guilt. The veil serves as a powerful symbol that evokes fear and curiosity, indicating that Mr. Hooper himself may be concealing something significant. As the parishioners observe him, their wonder and amazement reflect their own potential guilt and the hidden sins within their lives. Mr. Hooper's steadfastness in wearing the veil during his sermon suggests an exploration of the idea that all individuals bear their own burdens of sin, which deepens the theme of underlying guilt among his listeners. The congregation's growing unease suggests that they are confronting their own hidden transgressions as they witness Mr. Hooper's unwillingness to reveal the face behind the veil.