jimmy, I think it was significant that the minister wore the veil to the wedding because it shows that it was not necessarily a sign of mourning; since a wedding is a time of happiness and such...
Well everyone, I'd say I thought this story was quite...difficult to find a purpose within.
That is MY goal of the fishbowling today...to better understand the surpose of the whole story, and also to see why we never see his face behind the veil!
I didn't really understand why the town didn't take the veil off after he died. Personally, I would want to see what he was hiding. But on the other hand, I giess they were respecting his wishes.
Oh and Liz, maybe they didn't look at it to respect his wishes, and ALSO though because he was a preacher and he could make things happen to them through God. It could be a stretch though.
I think that the reason they didn't take the veil off at the end was a respect because I think that they understood that the veil meant a lot to Reverend Hooper, but I think they just didn't understand why. Plus, that's kind of how they recognized them at the end.
matt and liz, I was also frustrated with the fact that we did not get to see the minister's face at the end of the story. I think that, in addition to trying to honor his wishes, and to that he had called the townspeople out on why they had feared the veil at all, but I think that after he died, the people were even more afraid of the veil. Now, the man wearing it wasn't even alive to possibly explain it. I think also, because he was a minister, the people may think that he may still have some connection with it, even in death, and they do not want to upset him. I dont know if that even makes any sense...but they are just some thoughts.
Ahh sorry about that last comment. I thought that the wearing of the veil was ironic at the wedding. It is Kinda like The Sixth Sense if you've seen that and how the mom wears red to her daughters funeral. There is a controdicting statement made at a place where their is supposed to be a place of purity and not this big black cloud of evil.
I think that the people were afraid of the veil because they didn't understand why he was wearing it. But also, I think that it goes along with the notion of seeing something that you know change in a simple way is scary to them too.
Ok, well if he is hiding something, what would he be hiding? Because is must have been something really serious if he wouldn't show his face for 2 seconds to his lover. He lost everything he had to hide this secret .
The veil was a symbolic was of covering his secret. I agree with that. But, by hiding this secret he is also sort of revealing it and showing that he is hiding something by this actual piece of cloth that is "covering his secrets and lies."
GREAT COMMENT KAYLA!!!! I believe that the black veil worn by the minister was a contradicting statement. I believe that "The Minister's Black Veil" was a DEFINITE SYOMBOL FOR A DEEPER REPRESENTATION.
I'm thinking that the color black has something to do with sin. I think that this color could be a color that maybe the people fear deep down. But also, I think that it helps mask his face from the world so that people cannot see his face.
Did he sin or do something bad and that is why he needs to cover his eyes? The eyes are the view to the soul so if people can't see his soul, they don't trust him or view him the same way.
I think the veil was black to make it seem more macabre or maybe just more opaque. He was kind of trying to hide himself from the rest of the world, so thats where the opaque part comes in. Also, it could be a symbol of how he viewed people living their lives. Maybe he wanted everyone to wake up and stop following blindly.
Maybe we could relate this to eyes as well. Was he hiding all the things in his eyes? And does the veil give him more time to think before he acts? Or so that no one can read his face to see what he is thinking or how he is really reacting.
Black--I think it represents, or could represent, uncertainty: the unknown. I have noticed that in all the Gothic literature we have read, there is always that level of uncertainty. Without it, there would be nothing creepy about any of the situations. There would be no uncanny, or at least, there would be very little uncanny, without the element of the unknown.
TYC: I beleive that the veil scared the the minister's fellow townspeople because the minister had NEVER EVER DONE ANYTHING Of THAT SORT. He had never covered himself up before.
I really don't think that with the given information fromm the story that we can come up with what his secret is. I think that Hawthorne leaves this up for our interpretation of what we think is sin because I think that that varies from person to person.
All that we've been talking about was that the veil is hiding a secret. Is it at all possible the veil could represent something else because the secret part is really obvious.
I could't really find any source in the text in why it was black. I keep going back to being symbolic but everytime you thing of sins or lies the color you think of is black becasue it is heavy and weighing you down until you get it off your back. Is he trying to bring the town down with him in a sense?
Even if the town had never seen him like that before, why would they be so apprehensive to confront him about it? It obviously really bothered the town, but they leave it to his lover to ask him why.
I agree with you Zach, darkness and evil and wrongdoing are symbolized by the color of black. The minister is scaring his fellow townspeople because a minister is usually supposed to show fullness and happiness.
Ty- I think that he needed it to be obvious because I think that he felt deeply ashamed and he felt that maybe with this veil, the people won't see how ashamed he is or something.
ty- If he didn't do something obvious, no one would know he was doing anything at all. I think he wanted people to know he was doing something and make them try to figure it out.
Going off the fact of the veil being black, I wonder whether the townspeople would have reacted as they did if the veil were a different color. Im sure they would have acted much more lightheartedly if the veil were lighter in color. I think that the color black is just automatically associated with evil.
On page 5, at the bottom, it says something about him having a mental disease. Do you think that he actually is crazy or do you think that he has a justified reason for wearing his veil?
kylie- I love these questions. everyone look at kylies questions. They could see him smile because the veil only covered part of his face. giving him more time before he acts though i think is a little strange. I think the veil gave him a chance to "filter" the town because they wouldn't change their actions when he was looking at them so he could either make them act better always or see how they act normally without his influence.
Your comment about the eyes I agree with. it seems all gothic literature goes back to eyes and the uncanny. Eyes are something so normal, but if you scew them in any way it becomes unfamiliar and strange to us. Since his eyes are covered you cannot tell their expressions or what the true motives of the person is. It leaves a big question mark and all people have a fear of the unknown which leads to the reaction of the town.
I don't think that the minister was mental, I just think that Elizabeth was so confused on why he couldn't share his reasoning and why he would do somemthing so "out there."
kjerstinl- I STRONGLY believe that is the veil was a different color, i t would have affected the various responses of the minister's fellow townspeople. Different colors symboliza different feelings and ideals.
For one thing, Hawthorne may have picked a Puritan setting because Puritans are apparently very easily disturbed. Anything out of the ordinary is appalling to them. So it makes their reactions seem less excessive.
I think that he is afraid of himself because he knows that he has done something wrong and he can't confront his fear. He would rather mask it, not confront it.
ty, Maybe he didn't tell them for exactly that reason. Maybe he wanted them to figure it out on their own, rather than point it out to them. Maybe he knew that in order to figure out what he was doing, these people would have to analyze themselves.
I didn't even realize that it was a Puritan setting. But now that you mention it, when I think of Puritans, I think of that they're all good and trying to do everything good and such. I think that he put it in Puritan times because it adds irony to the situation and also how society can be misconstrued by something small.
Maybe he just tried to keep things interesting in the town and give them all something to talk about. Like in Rose for Emily, she is the talk of the town because of her habits, and we never figure out what we think is so abnormal about them.
OH NEW IDEA off what Kenna just said...How scared would he be if he saw his own face? Maybe that's the answer to Jimmy's question. Maybe he's not hiding things from others, maybe he's hiding things from himself.
I think the puritain setting was because the puritains tried to be the best and not see any lies. ok, just had a genious moment, what if the veil was to hide himself from the lies that the town had or was hiding.
I like your thinking Declan, but personally I would be really angry if this guy was keeping a secret for such a long time and then he dies with out telling anyone. I think it would bug me that I would never know what secret he was keeping
I think that he is afraid of himself. I think that this is supported by when at the wedding when the minister saw himself in the mirror how he was afraid and how he didn't look in mirrors after that.
I agree with Declan on why they picked a Puritan setting. Any form of the unknown they seem to connect it to the Devil and his was becasue it is a scapegoat for them. So they lead to rash conclusions fast and they seem to base their religion on fear. Whenever you do something wrong it connects back to the fact that you have committed a sin and that you are going... you know where. Do you think the minister couldn't handle the fact that he commited one, since he was a minister, and put on this veil to wear his sins on his sleeves, in a sense?
kjerstein- ( i just buchered your name) I think the veil was there to hide his ignorance of the secret and until he found out the secret he did not know how to fix it, kinda maybe.
I think that the veil makes him more powerful as a minister because it makes his message more moving. When he is delivering his sermon, the people seem to listen more intently and they actually take something away from what he is saying.
Kjerstin, Like I said, maybe he was trying to put them in a situation where they really had to look at themselves in order to find the answer. I think there was some part where he was talking about how his veil would only be removed when everyone else's was. I'm paraphrasing but it was along those lines.
Just more on the Puritan Setting: I think that as we have seen in The Crucible, people are easily frightened. And when faced with fear, the Puritans were quick to blow things out of proportion. I think that a Puritan Setting is optimum for gothic writing because the characters are easy to illustrate as fearful, or struggling to maintain their innocence, or trying to avoid the evil that they feel may be brewing in their surroundings.
Maybe the veil is their to cover the face of this man that he does not recognize. He is scared of his own face so maybe he is covering it up to cover up his past and his faults. Is this a possiblilty?
We don't really know what the minister's sin or darkside and only he knows. No one ever found out because they could not see his face or look into his eyes and see what he was thinking or into his soul.
Oh hey Liz you raise a good point. That's just like in the election with (FDR?) And JFK, how JFK was so put together and poised, and FDR was sweaty and unprepared. It distracted people from his actual speech and presidential motives.
So maybe one reason could certainly be that he wanted his messages to come across, not to just watch him and comment on his looks. Since his looks never change outside of the veil.
Do you think that the minister was trying to tell the people what the minister in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was trying to tell his congregation, but only more subtle?
Kjerstin and Declan- I like the idea that he was wearing the veil to make a statement. I hadn't thought of that. Could it be possible that the minister never did anything shameful but he was showing that everyone else did?
Liz- i never thought about the eyes being a looking glass into the soul, maybe he was blackening the entrance to his soul if you think the eyes can reflect the soul.
Everyone is making connections to "being afraid to look inside one's self". I think this relates to the Village, how all of them know nothing more than the potential they have to thrive in the Village, but they have no knowledge of how they could thrive in the real world.
In what sense do you think that we need to be honest with one another? Do you think that we are in denial with our sins or sosmething? Do you think that we need to let out all of our secrets to the world?
Can the human race and people as individuals really reach a point where we can be this open and be honest with eachother? Some people and their personalitlties might keep this "veil."
kjersten, good connection to "Sinners". I think that as the preacher was saying, people are responsible for their own downfalls, the minister in this story was trying to illustrate that the people in their town need to realize what they themselves are doing. They are responisble for their decisions, as well as their sins.
I got a chance to read MOST of what is written here, and first, let me say, wonderful work! Wish I could have been in class with you all; this seems to have been a pretty fun time. As far as discussions on gothic literature go in the way of fun, of course. Maybe not as exhilirating as, say, a card game or hide and go seek, but thrilling nonetheless!
So: the veil. I think that Kayla in particular brought up a wise point: by wearing a veil the parson is hiding AND pointing out his sins at the same time. It's like the friend we all have that says they have a secret and then never tell you the secret! Good friends, those ones, if you're in the mood for cracking a puzzle.
Symbolism of the veil: I see black in a different way than many others. I agree with the statement that black could be darkness. I mean, it IS a rather dark color, after all. But I also see black as a basic, in the fashion sense, laughlaugh, but also in the fact that we could not appreciate the brightness of other colors without black. Black is sadness, but also power, and black is strength. This supports a philosophy statement we've discussed on good and evil!!! With the veil, you can see and appreciate ALL of a person, instead of the goodness they project.
Why did they not remove the veil at then end? That really bothered me too, I'm not going to lie. But you know what I've learned on my journey to Michigan? That there are pieces of every persons' life that we will never know, no matter how close we are to them. Does this veil simply symbolize the secret every human being has inside of them?
I miss you all terribly. Not kidding; I saw some gothic style architecture the other day and thought of you all with a smile! Can't wait to see you again. Have an awesome class tomorrow, and with all luck I shall see you on Halloween!
This story kind of connects to my personal philosophy statement/wikispace. My statement is, "One should see with their mind instead of their eyes for their eyes might deceive them." Last year, we discussed that eyes were the windows to the soul while reading The Chosen. Perhaps the Minister is trying to cover up a secret by covering his eyes. So therefore people wouldn't be able to figure out his secret because they're unable to see his eyes.
100 comments:
what significance was it that the minister wore his veil to the wedding?
and why the heck cant we see his face at the end?
jimmy,
I think it was significant that the minister wore the veil to the wedding because it shows that it was not necessarily a sign of mourning; since a wedding is a time of happiness and such...
Matt- to leave a little mystery as to what his past was and why he wore it, maybe.
Well everyone, I'd say I thought this story was quite...difficult to find a purpose within.
That is MY goal of the fishbowling today...to better understand the surpose of the whole story, and also to see why we never see his face behind the veil!
I didn't really understand why the town didn't take the veil off after he died. Personally, I would want to see what he was hiding. But on the other hand, I giess they were respecting his wishes.
bub
I'm just going to ask the big question. Why is he wearing the veil?
liz,
i think that, after that speech he gave at the very end, the townspeople just decided to respect his wishes.
Oh and Liz, maybe they didn't look at it to respect his wishes, and ALSO though because he was a preacher and he could make things happen to them through God. It could be a stretch though.
In the beginning of the story, they town is so worried that he is wearing a veil. Why do you think they got so worried and frightened?
I thought it was quite silly how they reacted. To me, untill the end, it didn't seem like a huge deal, I thought he was just morning or something.
Liz-
I think that the reason they didn't take the veil off at the end was a respect because I think that they understood that the veil meant a lot to Reverend Hooper, but I think they just didn't understand why. Plus, that's kind of how they recognized them at the end.
matt and liz,
I was also frustrated with the fact that we did not get to see the minister's face at the end of the story. I think that, in addition to trying to honor his wishes, and to that he had called the townspeople out on why they had feared the veil at all, but I think that after he died, the people were even more afraid of the veil. Now, the man wearing it wasn't even alive to possibly explain it. I think also, because he was a minister, the people may think that he may still have some connection with it, even in death, and they do not want to upset him.
I dont know if that even makes any sense...but they are just some thoughts.
liz, The veil could have been a symbol of hiding a secret and they left it on because the secret was never totally revealed.
Ahh sorry about that last comment. I thought that the wearing of the veil was ironic at the wedding. It is Kinda like The Sixth Sense if you've seen that and how the mom wears red to her daughters funeral. There is a controdicting statement made at a place where their is supposed to be a place of purity and not this big black cloud of evil.
Liz-
I think that the people were afraid of the veil because they didn't understand why he was wearing it. But also, I think that it goes along with the notion of seeing something that you know change in a simple way is scary to them too.
DECLAN! HI!!! :]
Madison, I think that's a really good thought. I think we should go off something the inner circle has said, and ask, why black?
Anyone find any clues in the text as to why it was black? Here we go with colors again, haha.
Ok, well if he is hiding something, what would he be hiding? Because is must have been something really serious if he wouldn't show his face for 2 seconds to his lover. He lost everything he had to hide this secret .
Do you think the veil represented some bigger sin not just by him but by the town?
The veil was a symbolic was of covering his secret. I agree with that. But, by hiding this secret he is also sort of revealing it and showing that he is hiding something by this actual piece of cloth that is "covering his secrets and lies."
GREAT COMMENT KAYLA!!!! I believe that the black veil worn by the minister was a contradicting statement. I believe that "The Minister's Black Veil" was a DEFINITE SYOMBOL FOR A DEEPER REPRESENTATION.
Kylie-
I'm thinking that the color black has something to do with sin. I think that this color could be a color that maybe the people fear deep down. But also, I think that it helps mask his face from the world so that people cannot see his face.
I'm not so certain there was such a sin. I think it's metaphorical. To him and to others.
On the connection with eyes:
Did he sin or do something bad and that is why he needs to cover his eyes?
The eyes are the view to the soul so if people can't see his soul, they don't trust him or view him the same way.
What was it that made the townspeople afraid of the veil in the first place?
What exactly was his sin that he wanted to keep hidden?
I think the veil was black to make it seem more macabre or maybe just more opaque. He was kind of trying to hide himself from the rest of the world, so thats where the opaque part comes in. Also, it could be a symbol of how he viewed people living their lives. Maybe he wanted everyone to wake up and stop following blindly.
Maybe we could relate this to eyes as well. Was he hiding all the things in his eyes? And does the veil give him more time to think before he acts? Or so that no one can read his face to see what he is thinking or how he is really reacting.
How could they tell when he's smiling though?
Black--I think it represents, or could represent, uncertainty: the unknown. I have noticed that in all the Gothic literature we have read, there is always that level of uncertainty. Without it, there would be nothing creepy about any of the situations. There would be no uncanny, or at least, there would be very little uncanny, without the element of the unknown.
TYC:
I beleive that the veil scared the the minister's fellow townspeople because the minister had NEVER EVER DONE ANYTHING Of THAT SORT. He had never covered himself up before.
Erika-
I really don't think that with the given information fromm the story that we can come up with what his secret is. I think that Hawthorne leaves this up for our interpretation of what we think is sin because I think that that varies from person to person.
All that we've been talking about was that the veil is hiding a secret. Is it at all possible the veil could represent something else because the secret part is really obvious.
I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH MADISONM. The color black represents in most cases, the unknown and evil and sin.
Going back to Kylie,
I could't really find any source in the text in why it was black. I keep going back to being symbolic but everytime you thing of sins or lies the color you think of is black becasue it is heavy and weighing you down until you get it off your back. Is he trying to bring the town down with him in a sense?
Kylie-
The veil come down to above his mouth but still covering his nose. That's how they could see the smile.
Erika- Even if he was trying to hide something, did he have to do something as obvious as wearing a veil all the time?
Even if the town had never seen him like that before, why would they be so apprehensive to confront him about it?
It obviously really bothered the town, but they leave it to his lover to ask him why.
I agree with you Zach, darkness and evil and wrongdoing are symbolized by the color of black. The minister is scaring his fellow townspeople because a minister is usually supposed to show fullness and happiness.
Ty-
I think that he needed it to be obvious because I think that he felt deeply ashamed and he felt that maybe with this veil, the people won't see how ashamed he is or something.
ty-
If he didn't do something obvious, no one would know he was doing anything at all. I think he wanted people to know he was doing something and make them try to figure it out.
Going off the fact of the veil being black, I wonder whether the townspeople would have reacted as they did if the veil were a different color. Im sure they would have acted much more lightheartedly if the veil were lighter in color. I think that the color black is just automatically associated with evil.
Would you think that if the veil was a different color that the people would react differently?
TYC- I believe that the minister felt that the wearing of the black veil was the ONLY WAS THAT HE COULD "HIDE" SOMETHING.
On page 5, at the bottom, it says something about him having a mental disease.
Do you think that he actually is crazy or do you think that he has a justified reason for wearing his veil?
kylie- I love these questions. everyone look at kylies questions. They could see him smile because the veil only covered part of his face. giving him more time before he acts though i think is a little strange. I think the veil gave him a chance to "filter" the town because they wouldn't change their actions when he was looking at them so he could either make them act better always or see how they act normally without his influence.
Liz
Your comment about the eyes I agree with. it seems all gothic literature goes back to eyes and the uncanny. Eyes are something so normal, but if you scew them in any way it becomes unfamiliar and strange to us. Since his eyes are covered you cannot tell their expressions or what the true motives of the person is. It leaves a big question mark and all people have a fear of the unknown which leads to the reaction of the town.
Why do you think Hawthorne picked a Puritan setting? Can you make any connections back to The Crucible?
By the way--thanks to Declan for joining us live from home. Well done!
Declan- If he wanted them to figure out what he did,. why didn't he tell them what it was when he was on his death bed?
Kylie--
I THINK...
It said that they could see his mouth they just couldn't see his eyes. It is like a half face type of thing.
Erika- why is it that it can only be hiding something. The town thinks so but i don't see evidence for a big secret besides the town freaking out.
Liz-
I don't think that the minister was mental, I just think that Elizabeth was so confused on why he couldn't share his reasoning and why he would do somemthing so "out there."
kjerstinl- I STRONGLY believe that is the veil was a different color, i t would have affected the various responses of the minister's fellow townspeople. Different colors symboliza different feelings and ideals.
For one thing, Hawthorne may have picked a Puritan setting because Puritans are apparently very easily disturbed. Anything out of the ordinary is appalling to them. So it makes their reactions seem less excessive.
jimmym- The minister may or may not be hiding something. It is just the ideal that he is not acting the way he ususlly does... like a minister.
POSESSED? What do you mean by that Matt?
I think that he is afraid of himself because he knows that he has done something wrong and he can't confront his fear. He would rather mask it, not confront it.
ty,
Maybe he didn't tell them for exactly that reason. Maybe he wanted them to figure it out on their own, rather than point it out to them. Maybe he knew that in order to figure out what he was doing, these people would have to analyze themselves.
Ms. Leclaire-
I didn't even realize that it was a Puritan setting. But now that you mention it, when I think of Puritans, I think of that they're all good and trying to do everything good and such. I think that he put it in Puritan times because it adds irony to the situation and also how society can be misconstrued by something small.
I was answering the question on the inner circle of Why is he afraid of himself?
Maybe he just tried to keep things interesting in the town and give them all something to talk about. Like in Rose for Emily, she is the talk of the town because of her habits, and we never figure out what we think is so abnormal about them.
OH NEW IDEA off what Kenna just said...How scared would he be if he saw his own face? Maybe that's the answer to Jimmy's question. Maybe he's not hiding things from others, maybe he's hiding things from himself.
I think the puritain setting was because the puritains tried to be the best and not see any lies. ok, just had a genious moment, what if the veil was to hide himself from the lies that the town had or was hiding.
the idea's still forming, but maybe he was letting the sin control his life, and he's constantly living in fear
Declan-
If he wanted them to figure it out, WHY the veil? Why not give hints or something? Why not tell everyone when he was about to die?
what do you mean matt?
I like your thinking Declan, but personally I would be really angry if this guy was keeping a secret for such a long time and then he dies with out telling anyone. I think it would bug me that I would never know what secret he was keeping
Kylie-
I think that he is afraid of himself. I think that this is supported by when at the wedding when the minister saw himself in the mirror how he was afraid and how he didn't look in mirrors after that.
I agree with Declan on why they picked a Puritan setting. Any form of the unknown they seem to connect it to the Devil and his was becasue it is a scapegoat for them. So they lead to rash conclusions fast and they seem to base their religion on fear. Whenever you do something wrong it connects back to the fact that you have committed a sin and that you are going... you know where. Do you think the minister couldn't handle the fact that he commited one, since he was a minister, and put on this veil to wear his sins on his sleeves, in a sense?
kjerstein- ( i just buchered your name) I think the veil was there to hide his ignorance of the secret and until he found out the secret he did not know how to fix it, kinda maybe.
I think that the veil makes him more powerful as a minister because it makes his message more moving. When he is delivering his sermon, the people seem to listen more intently and they actually take something away from what he is saying.
Kjerstin,
Like I said, maybe he was trying to put them in a situation where they really had to look at themselves in order to find the answer. I think there was some part where he was talking about how his veil would only be removed when everyone else's was. I'm paraphrasing but it was along those lines.
Brian- what lesson was the minister tring to teach his fellow townspeople?
Jimmy-
I'm not sure what you are saying. Rephrase? Explain?
SNAPS for Kjerstin.
What is the minister's "dark side" ?
Declan- I really like that. Maybe by hiding himself and not giving them someone to live up to they could truly look at themselves.
Just more on the Puritan Setting:
I think that as we have seen in The Crucible, people are easily frightened. And when faced with fear, the Puritans were quick to blow things out of proportion. I think that a Puritan Setting is optimum for gothic writing because the characters are easy to illustrate as fearful, or struggling to maintain their innocence, or trying to avoid the evil that they feel may be brewing in their surroundings.
Declan-
Along those lines, when do you think everyone's "veils" would be removed? Why do you think they would be removed?
Maybe the veil is their to cover the face of this man that he does not recognize. He is scared of his own face so maybe he is covering it up to cover up his past and his faults. Is this a possiblilty?
kjerstein- the secret could have been his ignorance
We don't really know what the minister's sin or darkside and only he knows. No one ever found out because they could not see his face or look into his eyes and see what he was thinking or into his soul.
Oh hey Liz you raise a good point. That's just like in the election with (FDR?) And JFK, how JFK was so put together and poised, and FDR was sweaty and unprepared. It distracted people from his actual speech and presidential motives.
So maybe one reason could certainly be that he wanted his messages to come across, not to just watch him and comment on his looks. Since his looks never change outside of the veil.
Kjerstin- I believe that everyone's "veils" would be removed when everyine feels comfortable enough to be "honest" enough with each other.
CONNECTION:
Do you think that the minister was trying to tell the people what the minister in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was trying to tell his congregation, but only more subtle?
Kjerstin and Declan- I like the idea that he was wearing the veil to make a statement. I hadn't thought of that. Could it be possible that the minister never did anything shameful but he was showing that everyone else did?
Laine- what really is scaring them? What is the symbolism/representation/importance of this fear?
What is this so-called "fear" caused by?
Liz- i never thought about the eyes being a looking glass into the soul, maybe he was blackening the entrance to his soul if you think the eyes can reflect the soul.
Everyone is making connections to "being afraid to look inside one's self". I think this relates to the Village, how all of them know nothing more than the potential they have to thrive in the Village, but they have no knowledge of how they could thrive in the real world.
Erika-
In what sense do you think that we need to be honest with one another? Do you think that we are in denial with our sins or sosmething? Do you think that we need to let out all of our secrets to the world?
Erika
Can the human race and people as individuals really reach a point where we can be this open and be honest with eachother? Some people and their personalitlties might keep this "veil."
Goodbye everyone!!!! Great discussion today classmates!!!! :)
Maybe the townspeople wish they could hide their problems too, but just not by wearing a huge veil every second.
kjersten, good connection to "Sinners".
I think that as the preacher was saying, people are responsible for their own downfalls, the minister in this story was trying to illustrate that the people in their town need to realize what they themselves are doing. They are responisble for their decisions, as well as their sins.
BYE DECLAN!
Going off of Kylie, if their biggest problem is what their minister wears, they must not have a lot of problems in their little village.
ditto what kjerstein said add on see you tommorow.
Kylie,
In the village they were all hiding from there pasts, much like the minister could have been. There's another connection for y'all.
See you all on Wednesday.
Hey there everyone!
I got a chance to read MOST of what is written here, and first, let me say, wonderful work! Wish I could have been in class with you all; this seems to have been a pretty fun time. As far as discussions on gothic literature go in the way of fun, of course. Maybe not as exhilirating as, say, a card game or hide and go seek, but thrilling nonetheless!
So: the veil. I think that Kayla in particular brought up a wise point: by wearing a veil the parson is hiding AND pointing out his sins at the same time. It's like the friend we all have that says they have a secret and then never tell you the secret! Good friends, those ones, if you're in the mood for cracking a puzzle.
Symbolism of the veil: I see black in a different way than many others. I agree with the statement that black could be darkness. I mean, it IS a rather dark color, after all. But I also see black as a basic, in the fashion sense, laughlaugh, but also in the fact that we could not appreciate the brightness of other colors without black. Black is sadness, but also power, and black is strength. This supports a philosophy statement we've discussed on good and evil!!! With the veil, you can see and appreciate ALL of a person, instead of the goodness they project.
Why did they not remove the veil at then end? That really bothered me too, I'm not going to lie. But you know what I've learned on my journey to Michigan? That there are pieces of every persons' life that we will never know, no matter how close we are to them. Does this veil simply symbolize the secret every human being has inside of them?
I miss you all terribly. Not kidding; I saw some gothic style architecture the other day and thought of you all with a smile! Can't wait to see you again. Have an awesome class tomorrow, and with all luck I shall see you on Halloween!
Yours,
Me
This story kind of connects to my personal philosophy statement/wikispace. My statement is, "One should see with their mind instead of their eyes for their eyes might deceive them." Last year, we discussed that eyes were the windows to the soul while reading The Chosen. Perhaps the Minister is trying to cover up a secret by covering his eyes. So therefore people wouldn't be able to figure out his secret because they're unable to see his eyes.
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