AP Lit Name:

Hawthorne

Close Reading Guide/Quiz

“Young Goodman Brown”

1. “Well, she’s a blessed angel on earth, and after this one night, I’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven” (1264). Much of goodman Brown’s faith is centered in the characters around him, whether those be his wife or the ministers of his church, and as one by one they are revealed in their corruption, Brown sees their true natures as a sort of betrayal. Explain Brown’s disillusionment, taking into account the external nature of his faith.

2. Much attention centers around the twisted serpent’s staff of goodman Brown’s companion: it is the only thing that distinguishes him from a worldly man of the village? It passes from him, to Brown, to goody Cloyse. Describe the influence of this staff on the story. What does it symbolize?

3. The narrator will not say whether or not young goodman Brown dreamt the entire episode in the forest. The next morning, the narrator calls the minister “the venerable saint,” terms goody Cloyse “the excellent old Christian,” and describes Faith “bursting into joy at sight of him.” Depending on whether or not Brown is right about the villagers’ hypocrisy, these descriptions may or may not be ironic. How would Brown’s “desperate” life after this night in the forest appear to someone who had no knowledge of what he had seen? Do you read Brown’s eventual end as ironic, given what you know?

4. What influence does the way Puritans value outward expressions of faith and righteousness have on young goodman Brown’s disillusionment? Do you take the fact that Brown’s funeral was well attended by his family and neighbors as evidence they regarded him an example of a good Puritan, despite the fact that his faith in his wife and friends had been stripped away? “His dying hour was gloom,” and we can assume from the story’s last paragraph that he was consistently gloomy from the moment he awoke from the night in the forest until his death. But if he were never sure that his neighbors were not lying in their expressions of faith, and would expect them to lie anyway if they followed the devil, does the story record his example as a success or a failure in the context of his religion?

“The Minister’s Black Veil”

1.  There is much speculation among the townspeople, and no explanation from Hooper or the narrator as to the origin or purpose of the veil. Why do you think Mr. Hooper wears the veil? Describe the veil Hooper wears. How does it affect his vision? Explain whether you think he is right or wrong to wear it.

2.  There is a change in how Hooper is perceived once he dons the veil. There also seems to be a change in how he perceives others. How does the veil affect Hooper’s effectiveness as a minister from both perspectives? Describe the community’s reaction to the veil and to Hooper?

3.  For the rest of his life, Hooper is hidden behind the veil, but the black crepe does not cover his entire face. Why only cover his eyes? What is the effect of being able to see his mouth?

4.  Describe the funeral and wedding ceremonies over which Hooper officiates. How does the veil become a central organizing principle for both events? What do you make of this?

5.  Explore Elizabeth’s reaction to the veil. Why does she think “it should be her privilege to know what the black veil concealed”? What is her response to his refusal to take off the veil, and why is this especially significant?

6.  Talk about Hooper’s death and burial. Why is he buried with the veil? What do you make of the “withered” grass on his grave?

7.  How would this story be different if told from a first person point of view? What is the effect of being told in third person?

Synthesis

  1. How might “The Minister’s Black Veil” be regarded as a thematic sequel to “Young Goodman Brown”?
  2. Explain how Faith in “Young Goodman Brown” and Elizabeth in “The Minister’s Black Veil” are used to reveal some truth about the central male characters in each story. Describe the similarities you see in these women. What connection can you make with this theme in The Scarlet Letter? How is it different? What significance, if any, can you find in that?
  3. Compare Hawthorne’s use of symbol in “The Minister’s Black Veil” and “Young Goodman Brown” and The Scarlet Letter. Explain which symbol you think works more effectively to evoke the theme of its story. Why is symbolism such an apt tool to use in writing about the Puritans?
  4. All three works by Hawthorne are fictional. What common thematic idea unites them all? What do you think Hawthorne was trying to say? What influenced Hawthorne to make this statement? Based on what you know of Puritans, was this an apt statement?

Hawthorne Close Reading Guide/Quiz, AP Lit, 2008

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