The Minister’s Black Veil

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Minister’s Black Veil: Mood 1 key example

Definition of Mood

The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect of a piece of writing... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes... read full definition
Mood
Explanation and Analysis:

The mood of “The Minister’s Black Veil” is initially lighthearted and humorous. In the story’s first paragraph, Hawthorne paints a scene of a sunny, bustling town square, filled with the merry sound of a church bell ringing and a crowd of well-dressed churchgoers looking forward to the day’s service:

The sexton stood on the porch of Milford meeting-house, pulling busily at the bell-rope […] Children, with bright faces, tripped merrily beside their parents, or mimicked a graver gait, in the conscious dignity of their Sunday clothes. Spruce bachelors looked sidelong at pretty maidens, and fancied that the Sabbath sunshine made them prettier than on week days.