# Secrecy and Identity in The Blithedale Romance

> Theme guide for The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Themes of hidden identities and veiled truths pervade the narrative, from the Veiled Lady's mysterious performances to the concealed pasts of characters like Old Moodie and Zenobia, suggesting that people are often not what they seem.

## Where it surfaces

- [Old Moodie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/i-old-moodie): Old Moodie's hesitant, secretive manner and the Veiled Lady's hidden identity introduce themes of concealment and masks.
- [Blithedale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/ii-blithedale): Zenobia's adoption of a pseudonym as her magazine signature hints at a concealed identity and the performative nature of self-presentation within the community.
- [IV: The Supper-Table](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/iv-the-supper-table): Priscilla's hidden past and refusal to give her full name introduce an air of mystery and foreshadow deeper secrets.
- [Until Bedtime](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/v-until-bedtime): Priscilla's mysterious background and the symbolic silk purse with a hidden aperture underscore themes of hidden identity and secrecy.
- [VI: Coverdale’s Sick-Chamber](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/vi-coverdale-s-sick-chamber): Coverdale is obsessed with uncovering the mystery of Zenobia's life, and she is aware of his probing glances, hinting at hidden depths.
- [The Convalescent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/vii-the-convalescent): Priscilla remains an enigmatic figure, with a mysterious past hinted at in a letter, and her true nature is still veiled from the community.
- [IX: Hollingsworth, Zenobia, Priscilla](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/ix-hollingsworth-zenobia-priscilla): Coverdale's role as an observer and his prying into the characters' inner lives highlight themes of hidden motives and misunderstood identities.
- [A Visitor from Town](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/x-a-visitor-from-town): Old Moodie's hidden past and his furtive manner suggest concealed identities and secret connections, particularly regarding his relationship to Zenobia and Priscilla.
- [XI: The Wood-Path](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xi-the-wood-path): Westervelt's hidden knowledge of the Blithedale residents and his own deceptive appearance (gold teeth, possible mask) underscore themes of hidden identities and concealed motives.
- [XII: Coverdale's Hermitage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xii-coverdale-s-hermitage): Coverdale spies from his hidden hermitage, uncovering hidden tensions between Zenobia and Westervelt.
- [XIII: Zenobia's Legend](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xiii-zenobia-s-legend): The Veiled Lady's hidden face and the legend's exploration of concealed identity highlight the theme of secrecy, as characters debate what lies beneath the veil.
- [Eliot's Pulpit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xiv-eliot-s-pulpit): Coverdale's secret observation of Zenobia's gesture and Priscilla's hidden feelings underscore the theme of concealed truths.
- [XV: A Crisis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xv-a-crisis): Hollingsworth's secretive operations and Coverdale's probing questions highlight the hidden motives and moral ambiguities within the community.
- [XVI: Leave-Takings](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xvi-leave-takings): Coverdale's sense of hidden changes and unspoken tensions among the characters underscores the theme of concealed emotions and identities.
- [The Hotel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xvii-the-hotel): Coverdale notes that the front of a house is a 'veil and a concealment,' while the back reveals 'realities,' highlighting the theme of hidden truths.
- [XVIII: The Boardinghouse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xviii-the-boardinghouse): Coverdale's covert observation of Zenobia and Westervelt, and the hidden identities and relationships revealed through his spying.
- [XIX: Zenobia’s Drawing-Room](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xix-zenobia-s-drawing-room): Coverdale's voyeuristic observations and Zenobia's guardedness reveal hidden identities and motives.
- [XX: They Vanish](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xx-they-vanish): Priscilla's hidden beauty is revealed through her dress, and her lack of free will underscores the mystery of her true self and her subordination to others' plans.
- [An Old Acquaintance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xxi-an-old-acquaintance): Coverdale's quest to uncover hidden truths about Moodie, Priscilla, and Zenobia highlights the theme of concealed identities and secrets.
- [Fauntleroy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xxii-fauntleroy): Fauntleroy's hidden past and assumed identity as Old Moodie, and Priscilla's secret love for her unknown sister, highlight the theme of concealed selves.
- [A Village Hall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xxiii-a-village-hall): The Veiled Lady's hidden identity and Priscilla's unveiling highlight themes of concealment and revelation.
- [The Masqueraders](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xxiv-the-masqueraders): Coverdale spies on the community from the woods, and the masquerade costumes conceal the true identities of the characters.
- [XXVII: Midnight](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xxvii-midnight): The hidden circumstances of Zenobia's death and the mystery surrounding her final moments.
- [Blithedale Pasture](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xxviii-blithedale-pasture): Westervelt's mysterious influence over Zenobia and the hidden burden she carried are discussed but not fully revealed.
- [Miles Coverdale's Confession](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/chapters/xxix-miles-coverdale-s-confession): Coverdale reveals his long-hidden love for Priscilla, a secret that has shaped his entire narrative and life choices.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/themes/secrecy_and_identity
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_blithedale_romance_se/themes