The House of the Seven Gables is a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, first published in 1851. It tells the story of the Pyncheon family, a wealthy and influential New England family whose fortunes are tied to a cursed house.
The central figure of the novel is Hepzibah Pyncheon, a spinster who has spent her life caring for her family and their crumbling mansion, the House of the Seven Gables. The house is said to be cursed, as it was built on land that was taken from an innocent man, Matthew Maule, by the Pyncheon family. Maule placed a curse on the family and the house, causing them to suffer great tragedies and financial ruin.
Hepzibah's brother, Clifford, is the black sheep of the family and has spent much of his life in prison. He is released from prison at the beginning of the novel and returns to the House of the Seven Gables to live with Hepzibah. Despite his past, Clifford is kind and gentle, and Hepzibah begins to see him in a new light.
Another important character in the novel is Phoebe Pyncheon, Hepzibah's cousin. Phoebe is a young and vivacious woman who brings new life to the gloomy mansion. She is kind and compassionate, and helps Hepzibah and Clifford to see the value in themselves and their home.
The novel also follows the story of Holgrave, a young man who is researching the Pyncheon family's history. Holgrave's investigation leads him to uncover the truth about the curse on the house and the Pyncheon family's past.
Throughout the novel, the themes of fate, family, and the power of the past are explored. The characters must come to terms with their troubled history and the weight of their ancestors' actions. They must also navigate their relationships with each other and find a way to move forward, despite the challenges they face.
Overall, The House of the Seven Gables is a haunting and thought-provoking novel that delves into the complex and often troubled relationships within a family. It is a powerful exploration of the impact of the past on the present and the way that fate can shape our lives.
The House of the Seven Gables Chapters 9
Though plenty dismissed it as quackery as Hawthorne did , others embraced it as a tool of healing. Phoebe is doubtful that she can make a restless spirit like Holgrave happy, but he convinces her that he is willing to give all of this up for her. He was so uncomfortable with living in Salem that he relocated his family to Lenox, Massachusetts to escape the influence of Salem's Puritanical beliefs. Hepzibah is an old spinster who lives in the house alone save for a lodger,. In 1792, Captain Samuel Ingersoll bought the house, which was later inherited by his daughter, Susanna.
The House of the Seven Gables Chapter Summaries
An old maid who seems to wear a permanent scowl, she demonstrates the ruin and shame of the life of a fallen aristocrat. Chapter 13 Gervayse Pyncheon, grandson of Colonel Pyncheon, calls upon Mathew Maule the younger , grandson of the original Matthew. By having the scene be a daydream instead of an actual occurrence, Hawthorne fulfills the promise he made in the Preface—that he will balance the novel form with the romance. . Uncle Venner jokes that now the claim is not worth a single share in his farm, but Phoebe protests that Uncle Venner need no longer go to his farm, as there is an empty cottage on their property that would be perfect for him. With the curse broken, Clifford, moves himself, Phoebe, Hepzibah, Holgrave, and Uncle Venner to the judge's estate in the country, and the crumbling house of seven gables is abandoned.
House of the Seven Gables
But as soon as the man died, the shop door was locked and barred, the shop left just as it had been. Now an old man, he is frail and weakly. She is embarrassed by the need to operate this store, although Uncle Venner, her neighbor, tries to reassure her that she is doing the right thing. From the scaffold of the gallows, Maule places a curse on Colonel Pyncheon, who is unconcerned. With such a bustling world outside, the house itself seems almost insignificant. However, the vital deed cannot be found.
The House of the Seven Gables Summary
The young Holgrave, a daguerreotypist by profession, is something of an early bohemian, defined entirely by his personality rather than by his money. She then begins rearranging the room, making it more cheerful and pl. Uncle Venner proposes to join them in a few days, and as the rest of the company get into their carriage, Hepzibah gives money to little Ned Higgins, her first and most loyal customer. This nephew led a dissipated youth and then reformed to become a respectable member of society. . .
