AP Lit
Hawthorne
Close Reading Guide/Quiz
Name:
“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
Hawthorne Close Reading Guide/Quiz, AP Lit, 2008
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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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