Question

How do the setting and period of the story “The Devil and Tom Walker” help make the story work?

The story is set in New England in the eighteenth century, a time when people there were particularly superstitious about evil.
The story is set in Boston after the Revolutionary War at a time when the new country of America was prospering.
The story is set in the 1700s in the dense forests of Appalachia, a region where many Indian massacres had occurred.
The story is set in Europe in the sixteenth century, a time when people there were very religious.

Answer 1

B

Answer 2

The story is set in Boston after the Revolutionary War at a time when the new country of America was prospering.

Answer 3

According to Father Hooper’s explanation at the end of “The Minister’s Black Veil,” what point is he trying to make by wearing the veil for most of his life?

He has not wanted to damage the reputation of the church and of his ministry by revealing the terrible thing he has done before he entered the ministry.
Though he has always been considered a good preacher, his sermons are mild, not powerful, so he has put on the veil when he preaches in order to instill the fear of God in his listeners.
He means to show that everyone, not just he, has experienced sin and sorrow and should therefore try not to hide it from others or from God.
He has always meant the veil to be a showpiece for his ministry that would get people talking about his sermons and increase church attendance.