House of seven gables summary. American Historic Homes 2022-10-25
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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 17
The family has been searching for the deed since Colonel Pyncheon's days. Analysis of The House of the Seven Gables Book The preface makes it clear that Nathaniel Hawthorne considers The House of the Seven Gables as a tale of romance as opposed to a novel. Summary — Chapter 18: Governor Pyncheon Judge Pyncheon is both spoken of and directly addressed in this chapter, as if the man were not dead but merely asleep or meditating in his chair. Worried that Clifford will be blamed for the murder, the brother and sister flee. People come to the shop but find it closed. At the beginning of the novel, she opens a shop in the first floor of the house to support herself and her brother. Hawthorne also uses morality as a lesson in the present generation being punished for the sins of their ancestors.
She heads downstairs, where we discover that her own financial difficulties have led her to reopen the little shop with the door cut into the front gable. Phoebe teases Holgrave when he remarks with regret that the new house is built of impermanent wood rather than permanent stone, and he acknowledges with a melancholy smile that he is rapidly becoming a conservative. But the very day of Colonel Pyncheon's housewarming party, Matthew Maule's curse rears its head. Other themes include Justice and Judgment, shown through the character of Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon, who uses his profession and power to threaten and imprison his cousin. All purchases are non-refundable. She opens the store window and quickly runs into the living room of the house, crying.
These little excursions with Phoebe always please Clifford, particularly when she reads poetry. Chapter 18 Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon remains in the chair where Clifford and Hepzibah Pyncheon left him. After this, Phoebe takes a trip home to her village, and morale in the House of the Seven Gables declines sharply. Now an old man, he is frail and weakly. The judge tells her that Clifford knows where to find the deed of the late Colonel Pyncheon.
As such, Hawthorne prepares readers for the fluid mixture of realism and fantasy that the romance genre allows. In fact, she finds the mystery surrounding Clifford frustrating, and the time she spends with him is motivated by pity rather than morbid fascination. Nathaniel Hawthorne in His Times. Summary — Chapter 4: A Day Behind the Counter As the day wears on, an elderly gentleman walks by the house. Crowds gather to admire the imposing new house, which is three stories tall. The deep projection of the section story gave the house a meditative look, that you could not pass it without the idea that it had secret to keep.
The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne Plot Summary
At a party held to inaugurate his new mansion, the Colonel is found dead in his study, his beard covered in blood. However, he is happy to see that Alice has remained hypnotized by him and cruelly torments her. The visitor center was named in honor of the Seamans family; Donald C. This chapter is an ironic meditation on time and the eternity into which the dead man has entered. Chapter 4 As the afternoon of her first day in the store approaches, Hepzibah Pyncheon sees an "elderly gentleman, large and portl. As she goes to get Clifford, she is certain this incident will go down in family history.
The House of the Seven Gables Preface by the Author Summary & Analysis
It is known as the House of the Seven Gables. The departure of Phoebe, the focus of his attention, leaves him bed-ridden. Accessed December 31, 2022. A fly crawls across his face and creeps toward his open eyes. .
Because Clifford has suffered through much, a somewhat vengeful spirit seems understandable, but some of his comments bear an eerie similarity to avaricious remarks we might have expected to hear from Colonel Pyncheon. We engage our wider community through stimulating, thoughtful, facilitated conversations on immigration and other social justice issues. Holgrave tells Phoebe that he has not told the police or called witnesses because he knows that to do so would implicate the absent Clifford and Hepzibah, and he hopes that the two return soon. Clifford and Hepzibah return and tell the world of Jaffrey's death. New York: Random House, 2004: 257.
It was in the house the whole time—behind the portrait of Colonel Pyncheon. Holgrave reveals that he is a descendant of the Maule family and that the location of the deed had been passed down to him through his ancestor Thomas, the carpenter, who built the recess and hid the deed there. They declare their love for each other. Originally, a cottager named Matthew Maule lived here, on the site of a freshwater spring. More recently, the most notable event in the Pyncheon family was a murder, which took place about 30 years ago: a nephew was convicted of the murder of his uncle, but because of his family connections, he was spared the death penalty and imprisoned for life instead. He insists he and Hepzibah leave the house.
The House of the Seven Gables: Novel, Summary & Theme
When they see the young people, Hepzibah is so glad she is finally able to set down her burden of grief that she bursts into tears. In spite of herself, however, Hepzibah begins to see life through the eyes of her profession, as evidenced by her scorn for the wealthy lady. From the scaffold of the gallows, Maule places a curse on Colonel Pyncheon, who is unconcerned. Jaffrey, on the other hand, has thrived. Plan your visit, explore our educational opportunities and embark on a guided group tour with us today! This is indeed a keen matter, for there is blood on the Judge's shirt front. Her haughty contempt for her own store is coupled with a very real pain, and she goes about setting up her shop with a rather touching timidity.
The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hepzibah feels as if she is living in a nightmare, but Clifford has never seemed more youthful or alive; the death of the Judge has left him feeling liberated and elated. The young Holgrave, a daguerreotypist by profession, is something of an early bohemian, defined entirely by his personality rather than by his money. . . Phoebe and Clifford especially enjoy sitting together in the garden or overlooking the street from a second-floor window. Through his political influence, the Judge has had Clifford released from prison for one reason only: Clifford will either divulge the whereabouts of the map and the deed "to the large tracts of land to the east" — or else Jaffrey will have him declared insane.
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