The Minister's Black Veil

Chelsey Wilkins

The Minister’s Black Veil

Like many of his other short stories, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the short story during the era of Puritanism in a small village, Milford. Once again, the short story takes the theme of secret sin. “The Black Veil” was written in a more gothic writing style, which is common in Hawthorne’s works. The story compares the flaws of a man, Mr. Hooper, who is aware of his sins, to those fellow Puritans who’d rather point fingers and criticize others before they accept the sins that are self induced.


The very first thing that stood out to me was the community’s inability to adapt to change. No one cared to ask if it was something wrong with Mr. Hooper’s face they were just quick to pass judgment. Rather than the community coming together to help him, they come together to shun him, and create rumors about him. I believe this says a lot about the characteristics shared within the small town of Puritans which all relates back to the theme of secret sin.

Diction was a rhetoric device that was used to uphold the gothic style writing type. Hawthorne, similar to other short stories, used words to describe ideas he was trying to get across in a kind of negative way. Words such as black veil, corpse, coffin, sad, and sin were used to spread the intended ideas widely. These gothic toned words helped attribute to the theme of secret sin.

Lastly, the story to a certain extent seemed ironic. All the Puritans of the village were just sure that there had to be something wrong with Mr. Hooper, some even started rumors about so call supernatural activity. However, as Mr. Hooper is on his death bed, he offends all the people of the community by unmasking their known personal veils. He emphasizes the idea that instead of him being the weird, extraordinary one, could it be a mental problem of the Puritans and their obsession with jumping to the most negative outcome. All of the Puritans tendency t judge and point out flaws of others led back to the possibility of having a black veil on each of their faces.

To conclude, Mr. Hooper wore his black veil till death. I thought it symbolized the sin that many tried to deny and left secret. The gothic type of diction helped better understand the theme of secret sin. The actual reason for the veil still haunts me, yet I understand how the irony of the black veil and his fellow Puritan’s invisible veil.

Young Goodman Brown

Chelsey Wilkins

Young Goodman Brown

The battle between good and evil was in true affect during the late seventeenth century. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote, “Young Goodman Brown,” which contained the problems choosing between Christ and the devil that occurred frequently in Salem, Massachusetts. It became surprising to find out the very people Goodman thought were god –loving Christians ended up being the hypocrites who met to worship the devil. The gothic based story showed many litary devices, leaving a deeper understanding of the text.

While examining the short story rhetorically, symbolism was used sufficiently. The very beginning of the story used symbolism on account of Goodman not only leaving his wife; Faith becomes a tragedy but it symbolizing him losing his faith in God in the future. Also the male figure that Goodman met with left the essence of the devil. Not only did the male figure lead him into the forest but he contradicted all his ideas and beliefs about God. Another example of symbolism would be the forest itself as a whole. In the gothic-toned story, the forest really gives the audience a sense of doubt, fear, darkness, maybe even the agony Goodman has yet to face.


Pathos, a rhetoric device, was appealed to throughout the story. First, pathos in the form of romanticism, as Faith hesitates to let her husband leave, yet share their love and deepest feelings in hopes of being reunited. The main quote that stood out to me was, “my faith is gone! Cried he, after one stupefies moment. “There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. “ Come devil…….” The quote is not on significantly emotional because the inner feelings Goodman is releasing, but also I believe this becomes the very moment that not only loses his wife but also all of his Faith, his dependence on God.

Lastly, the diction used in the story significantly lead to the era of gothic. Hawthorne used repeatedly words that more of favored the presence of the devil, such as dull, draery, devilish, gloomy… and so forth. I believe the choice in words really accompanied the theme relating to those who have come in to close of contact with the devil (spiritually speaking), to those who have chosen to cross over and worship the devil.

To conclude, the fight between good and evil has been fought numerous times. Hawthorne wrote a short story, “Young Goodman Brown” that emphasized on the prescience of the devil in Salem, Massachusetts during the late seventeenth century. What captured my attention most was why wouldn’t Goodman just turn around and save himself from all the deception and agony? Was it the devil luring him into the witches’ meetings to worship him? What would make Goodman want to meet in the middle of the forest and journey with an old creepy man? Just ideas that haunt my mind about the gothic style short story.

the devil and tom walker

Chelsey Wilkins

The Devil and Tom Walker

Washington Irving wrote a short story that revolved around the darkness and evilness of the devil. Unlike other suspense stories, the story was written in a pure Gothic style. New England, known for its history of tales of witches and evil spirits, was an excellent choice of setting for this so called mythical story.


To begin with, diction was set in a gothic like tone. Mostly all of the descriptive words were negative. For example, the words dark, horrid, treacherous, and evil were used throughout the story. The use of such negative words kind of hinted to me that maybe the area they were in was not, good or even foreshadowed an unfortunate event. “Cautiously through this treacherous forest,” is another example of the diction used to appeal to the gothic tone?

Figurative language was used throughout the story to help further the extent of certain actions. “As articulate as the bars of a gridiron,” used the comparison to give a further explanation of how the miserable horse’s ribs were. The similes used by Irving in this piece helped me get a more detailed aspect about the point he was trying to get across rather than just thinking it’s articulate, he compares it with the bars of the gridiron which allows so many more possible definitions of the intended subject.

Lastly, while trying to analyze the story rhetorically, I really didn’t think it appealed to pathos nor ethos on account of he never stated he was there, Irving just told a story that could have been made up or simply a folktale. However, I did notice the constant reference to the devil. I actually believed that the devil had taken over Tom’s spirit when he found out his wife had been killed. I mea n who could say something insulting about a dead spouse, I don’t think it’s possible which left the influence of the devil to control him.

To conclude, by analyzing the story rhetorically I came to the conclusion it was consumed around the devil. I felt the story was fictional, and maybe was used to like scare younger children out of stealing and things of that sort. “The Devil and Tom Walker” was written by Washington Irving and fell into the direct category of a gothic toned story.

The Fall of the House of Usher

Chelsey Wilkins


The Fall of the house of Usher

Generally speaking, most are familiar with the works of Edgar Allen Poe, on account of his passion, for suspenseful short narratives. “The Fall of the House of Usher” was a creepy story about a somewhat cursed family. In this short story, Poe didn’t give any references to setting simply, wrote in a type of gothic-tale. The rhetorical devices that were used mainly surrounded the idea of ethos.


Imagery was dominant in this short story. Not only did everything have a Goth –like tone to it but Poe describes the house and the people in full detail. Poe used descriptive words such as dull, dark, and soundless that gave his audience an image of the creepy mansion on top of the suspense of a Gothic story.

The analytical rhetorical device, ethos was appealed to throughout the entire short story. The story would not appeal to suspicion as much if Poe did not write in first person telling his audience that this event has happen and it’s true because I witnessed it. I think that the background on Poe’s relations with Roderick also adds an extra advantage to the credibility of the story.

Lastly, I belive that this story, like others, has shown irony. The suspense of the story makes it the better, on top of the disadvantage of knowing a deep understanding of the history between Poe and Roderick. Why Poe was contained in the house is still question that haunts me about the story. Poe entering the house immediately left me believing he would die in that house but ironically he didn’t. Nevertheless, did I think to realize that the crack represented the collapse of the house at the end of the story?


To conclude, Edgar Allen Poe writes short creepy stories. He was part of the American Romantic movement, but best known for his stories of mystery. He wrote a mysterious story about the falling of a house and the death of those inside,” The fall of the House of the Usher. ”

The Pit and Pendulum

Chelsey Wilkins

Edgar Allen Poe is a nation-wide known author. He has been accounted for contributing to the literature of short stories, however to spice up his accomplishments, he writes numerous spine-tingling short stories of horror and suspense. “The Pit and the Pendulum” was written during the time of the Spanish Inquisition, which would explain the capital punishment Poe was doomed for. Beyond his accomplishments, he was a man who believed death is not the end of man, simply survival of death means life is just an interpretation of your true spiritual existence.

Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, different from many, lacks supernatural elements. Thus, making the way he described the place and condition he was in more interesting. Sensation, a fiction-writing mode for portraying a character’s perception of senses, is the main form of imagery appealed to. Poe notes how the dungeon is airless and unlit, not because he read about it but because maybe breathing had become more difficult for him, and how he is unable to see a stitch of light. His sensation allowed his audience to envision what position he was in, and what was around him. Sensation also reminded Poe about the possibilities of dehydration and starvation in the torture chamber.

Poe could be described as an analytical person, which made appealing to logos almost automatic to him. Before taking action, Poe takes the time to analyze possible outcomes of where he is, what he could be in, or what could possibly be around him. Poe, accompanied by logic, was able to advance from his theory of being in a tomb to actually figuring out he is in a torture chamber. Observing his surroundings, led him to know that the pendulum was decreasing, which left his logic to consider like hey eventually this swinging pendulum will crush me. Logic was the single-handed reason Poe was able to tell his story today.

Irony could be described as a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is discordance between what one says or does compared to what will actually occur. I found the short story to have suspense that made you have to keep reading, to end ironically with Poe’s survival. I thought as the story went on, the more we found out about his where abouts, alongside the barriers of death, his survival chances were slim to none. Fortunately, I was proved incorrect, just when I thought there was no other way out, that this must be the end, the ironic appearance of the French general proved me incorrect. This type of suspense and irony is what makes the story so good.

To conclude, the Spanish Inquisition was known to be bloody and brutal. Little did I know about the great aspect of history, Edgar Allen Poe wrote about it. The short story was filled with suspense and rhetoric devices. I enjoyed reading the short ironic story about overcoming a torture chamber, but most of all reading the views of someone who thought they could overcome death.

"Story of an Hour"

Chelsey Wilkins


The Story of an Hour
Regression seems to be the theme that sets the mood of the story, "The Story of an Hour.” Written by Kate Chopin, the story tells the unfortunates of a woman living her last hour of life. Early in the story Mrs. Mallard is pronounced to have a heart problem which implies that there will be pathos used, most likely in the form of sympathy. Ironically, the story seizes to emphasize her disability, but to point out the difficulty of marriage in the late nineteenth century.

Diction was a definite point hit from the analytical rhetoric triangle. Chopin used a lot of open-ended words that could have duplicity of meaning behind them. For instance, Chopin used the word open frequently. “Facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair,” the quote uses the word open to describe desire in Mrs. Mallard’s life. It most nearly means that maybe she is trapped, leaving the chair near the open window to cope with her feelings of imprisonment. Chopin also repeatedly used the words escaped, abandoned, and even free which all indicate containment in some form.

Chopin left a somewhat hidden message throughout her story that tried to be sympathetic to the thought of death yet to show the discomforts of marriage. At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Mallard isn’t really given an identity. She was continually referred to as Mrs. Mallard which says a lot about how she is treated in her ordinary life. She is referred to as her husband’s property rather than a woman. Yet, later in the story, after the news about the death Chopin now gives us a name for Mrs. Mallard, Louisa. The changes in recognition lead me to believe that Louisa now felt free, free from the imprisonment of living for her husband instead of herself. The feeling of discontentment relates back to the views of the author and how she truthfully feels that marriage in the late nineteenth century was a trap.

“She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams.” Figurative language became a must in the story. Chopin used the simile to compare her plain, slumped way of sitting in the chair, yielding her tears as a child does after crying themselves to sleep. The simile gives you an image of what she looks like as she sits in the chair looking out the window. Another example would be, “she was striving to beat it back with her will- as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been.” In comparison to the last simile quoted, Chopin used the simile to link Mrs. Mallard’s inability to beat the thing that was coming with her will. Chopin’s use of similes gave further description of the domestic problems Mrs. Mallard faced.

To conclude, Kate Chopin is a romantic, realist writer. Chopin wrote, “The Story of an Hour,” to tell the story of a woman suffering from heart problems, yet she is devastated and imprisoned in her marriage. Ironically, Mrs. Mallard dies as soon as she finds freedom. The story showed Chopin’s opinion on marriage in the late nineteenth century, which obviously she believes is a form of containment and will lead to regression.

Aren't I A Woman?????

Chelsey Wilkins


Aren’t I A Woman?

Sojourner Truth has been remembered in history as an anti-slavery activist. In her speech, “Aren’t I a Woman,” she questions the distinction between the equality of men and women. Truth uses parts of the rhetoric triangle to break down her views regarding the equality of men and women. Every time she uses the quote, “Aren’t I a Woman,” she’s comparing her accomplishments to those of men.

“I have plowed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me and aren’t I a woman?” The quote appeals to credibility. Its saying like I can build, plow dig, move, all the above that you so called man do, aren’t I equally as significant as you are. Truth uses her personal life experiences to prove that she is equal to any men. She had the barriers of being a former slave, leaving stress on her emotionally and physically. Her wisdom as an older woman that has already experienced these events on top of her once being a slave makes her a pretty reliable source.

“I have borne thirteen children and seen them almost all sold off into slavery…” This quote also appeals to credibility yet has a deeper meaning. In some sort I would consider the quote a metaphor. It shows Truth’s human side in comparison to those of maybe a white man or woman. She’s saying she is capable of performing the same duties of a white woman while still being an active slave bringing the rhetoric question Aren’t I a woman?

Lastly, Sojourner Truth stated the obvious by appealing to logos. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense-common sense. If a woman can have the qualities of all white women, while also being forced to complete duties men do, wouldn’t she be considered a woman? Another example of logos was when a man in her audience said women can’t be equal to men because God was not a woman and she replied, “Where did Christ come from?” Logically, Christ had to be birthed by a woman, which would put her above him leading back to Truth’s theory on the equality of men and women.

To conclude, Sojourner Truth has been recognized in history for many accomplishments. She was an attribuant to the abolishment movement and is considered to be an anti-slavery activist. By breaking down truth’s speech according to the analytical rhetoric triangle, I thought “Aren’t I a Woman,” appealed to logos, pathos, and ethos. “Aren’t I a Woman” was used every time sojourner could compare herself to a man, in my opinion, which made them of equal significance.

Incidents in the life of a slave girl

Chelsey Wilkins


Incidents in the Life of a slave Girl


The narrative recalls the unfortunate events that occurred in the life of a slave girl. Linda was born into slavery but unlike some other slaves, she was lucky enough to be raised in a family that didn’t really make it obvious that they were slaves. The book could almost be called an autobiography on account of she wrote these events as they occurred in her life. The story appeals to the rhetoric triangle starting with pathos.

To begin with, the story appeals to ethos. Linda is a reliable source because she writes about these events as they happened to her during her life... Early in the first chapter, she mentions she was born a slave and told us about how her parents worked for a mistress, when you consider credibility that’s better to tell you about an experience then someone who has not only seen it happen but been a part of it. For instance, Linda tells story about how even her grandmother belonged to a mistress, and how her father would pay his mistress two-hundred dollars on top of his work to keep his children, shows the credibility is accurate.

Pathos was expressed distinctly in the story. Linda shows emotions when her mother dies. She says, “Who’s going to take care of me,” which shows that most likely Linda and her mother had a really close relationship. Not to mention her feeling of emptiness when her mother, father, friend, and mistress had all died. Quotes such as “how earnestly I had prayed” showed the definite need for her family in her life and the future pain she would suffer without them. . Besides Linda, her grandmother also showed a lot of emotion toward the work she did. Her grandmother had passion and dedication to being a well respected person and also a good servant.

Lastly, diction describing Lind’s grandmother stood out to me. From the text, I assumed that Linda admired her grandmother. While speaking of her grandmother, she didn’t use negative words, but words of admiration. For example, Linda said the fellow neighbors all knew of her grandmother because she was a loyal servant or even how her grandmother always stood outside by the sidewalk waiting to give her granddaughter food symbolizes her dedication to her family and Linda’s admiration for that reason.

To conclude, credibility is a significant factor to a good story. Linda Marie Childs wrote a book about her life as a child including all the deaths she had to face and the cruel masters and mistresses. Luckily, Linda was able to look at the admirable actions of her grandmother and was enslaved by her family. Numerous accounts of pathos and ethos were shown in the story.