This journal is all about snow. Snow, snow, snow, and more snow. Snow is pretty awesome I guess, but it's one of those double-edged sword kind of deals. I like it when it's pretty, but after a while it gets all slushy and black and gross. Freshly fallen snow is the best because it's smooth, even, and fluffy. I like to just go outside and roll in the new snow. Often times, my dog joins me because he's just a freak like that.
My favorite snow-related activities are making snow angels and snow forts, sledding, rolling around in the snow, and pelting my brother and his friends with snowballs. Snowmen are fun to make, too. I want to one day make a snowman like the ones in that Calvin and Hobbes comic where one gets hit by a car and the others are standing around looking shocked. I'm not sure I have the attention span for that though.
Another snow-related activity that I enjoy is drinking hot chocolate after playing outside in the snow. Hot chocolate is awesome by itself, but if you're cold when you drink it, then it's even better for some reason. It's all about the atmosphere.
Another thing about the atmosphere of snow is how I like curling up in bed with a good book and just spending the day reading. Sounds geeky, but it's one of my favorite things to do. Especially if I'm home alone because then the house is quiet and I have space to breath.
I also like how snow looks when it's falling. I took some awesome pictures a few years ago during that snowstorm we had. They turned out really well, if I do say so myself. Snow always looks so pretty when it's just floating down to the earth. It even looks cool if there's a blizzard or something because it's like the snow just hides all the imperfections in the world underneath its sparkling perfection.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Reflection on "The Minister's Black Veil"
"The Minister's Black Veil" exhibits many characteristics of Dark Romanticism. Though not the same as the other Dark Romantic stories we have read, such as the works of Poe, "The Minister's Black Veil" still has many features that make it a Dark Romantic work.
The main characteristic of Dark Romanticism present in "The Minister's Black Veil" is the sense of mystery that pervades the story in its entirety. The villagers can't figure out why on earth the minister would all of a sudden want to wear a veil over his face. The villagers uncertainty creeps into the reader's mind and makes them want to figure out why the minister is wearing a veil. Even when the minister explains his new headgear, he does so in a very ambiguous way that leaves a lot open for interpretation. If anything, the reader continues reading the story just so they can receive clarification. Also, they want to know if he keeps his promise and keeps the veil on for his whole life. He apparently does, but, when he dies, the townspeople don't lift the veil. The minister is buried in it and decomposes with it still covering his face. As the narrator states in the beginning, "That mysterious emblem was never once withdrawn." (Hawthorne 281).
Another big theme of Dark Romanticism in this story is the acknowledgment that there is sin and evil in the world. The townspeople believe Mr. Hooper to be wearing the veil because he is hiding from some secret sin, illustrated by this passage: "The subject had reference to secret sin, and those sad mysteries which we hide from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal from our own consciousness, even forgetting that the Omniscient can detect them." (Hawthorne 282). The accusation presented in that passage is made even more ominous by the fact that Mr. Hooper is a minister, and, therefore, he is not really supposed to sin, let alone have a secret sin that is so bad he feels he must cover his face. This brings an added layer to the psychology of "The Minister's Black Veil."
The Dark Romantic authors often play around with psychology in their stories, which makes them that much more effective as short stories. The minister's veil makes all of the townspeople really uneasy. They know that a simple piece of black fabric shouldn't have such an effect on them, but they can't help the fact that it really creeps them out. It is made even more intense by the fact that there is not a solid presence that makes them feel that way. In other Dark Romanticism stories, there is usually something solid for the characters to be afraid of, even if they are really just a metaphor for something else. The fact that there is really only the subtle idea of something that is making the people feel this way certainly is more effective than an actual boogieman. It is this psychological aspect that is probably the biggest reason this work is considered a Dark Romantic work.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "The Minister's Black Veil." American Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 280-89. Print.
The main characteristic of Dark Romanticism present in "The Minister's Black Veil" is the sense of mystery that pervades the story in its entirety. The villagers can't figure out why on earth the minister would all of a sudden want to wear a veil over his face. The villagers uncertainty creeps into the reader's mind and makes them want to figure out why the minister is wearing a veil. Even when the minister explains his new headgear, he does so in a very ambiguous way that leaves a lot open for interpretation. If anything, the reader continues reading the story just so they can receive clarification. Also, they want to know if he keeps his promise and keeps the veil on for his whole life. He apparently does, but, when he dies, the townspeople don't lift the veil. The minister is buried in it and decomposes with it still covering his face. As the narrator states in the beginning, "That mysterious emblem was never once withdrawn." (Hawthorne 281).
Another big theme of Dark Romanticism in this story is the acknowledgment that there is sin and evil in the world. The townspeople believe Mr. Hooper to be wearing the veil because he is hiding from some secret sin, illustrated by this passage: "The subject had reference to secret sin, and those sad mysteries which we hide from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal from our own consciousness, even forgetting that the Omniscient can detect them." (Hawthorne 282). The accusation presented in that passage is made even more ominous by the fact that Mr. Hooper is a minister, and, therefore, he is not really supposed to sin, let alone have a secret sin that is so bad he feels he must cover his face. This brings an added layer to the psychology of "The Minister's Black Veil."
The Dark Romantic authors often play around with psychology in their stories, which makes them that much more effective as short stories. The minister's veil makes all of the townspeople really uneasy. They know that a simple piece of black fabric shouldn't have such an effect on them, but they can't help the fact that it really creeps them out. It is made even more intense by the fact that there is not a solid presence that makes them feel that way. In other Dark Romanticism stories, there is usually something solid for the characters to be afraid of, even if they are really just a metaphor for something else. The fact that there is really only the subtle idea of something that is making the people feel this way certainly is more effective than an actual boogieman. It is this psychological aspect that is probably the biggest reason this work is considered a Dark Romantic work.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "The Minister's Black Veil." American Literature. Comp. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2009. 280-89. Print.
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