In the first paragraph of the story, the people are described as cheerful and lively. Children skip “merrily” and “with bright faces,” and bachelors watch “pretty maidens,” believing that “the Sabbath sunshine made them prettier than on week days” (1). Is it a surprise that the people fail to learn the lesson Mr. Hooper is trying to teach? Is this failure a failure on their part or on his? What does your answer suggest about Puritanism?

Discuss the concept of secret sin in “The Minister’s Black Veil.” Why does everyone have it, and what, according to Mr. Hooper, is so problematic about it? How do the people deal with their own secret sin?

What is the purpose or effect of Hawthorne’s note about Mr. Joseph Moody? Does it make the story more realistic? How is this note related to Hawthorne’s calling the story “a parable”?