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Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered to be one of the greatest American writers of the 19 th Century. Born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. A descendant of a long Puritan line of Hawthorne s His ancestry included his great- great grandfather, John Hawthorne who was a judge at the Salem witch trials 112 years before he was born. Judge John Hawthorne charged many with the crime of witchcraft, and condemned them to their deaths.
Nathaniel was embarrassed by this and changed the spelling of his last name from Hawthorne to Hawthorne. A lot of his family history, life experiences and where he lived influenced his writing greatly. Hawthorne had a cousin, Susannah Ingersoll. When he was young, in Salem, he would frequently visit her in her mansion, she lived there alone.
The house had a secret staircase and once had seven gables. This house, Nathaniel visited in his youth, was his inspiration for the house in his book The House Of The Seven Gables. The story of The House Of The Seven Gables stretches over two centuries. Its the classic scenario of two rival families; in this case the Pyncheon's (wealthy aristocratic puritans) and the Maule's (humbler paupers). The story of these two families begins with Matthew Maule, who owned a certain amount of land and built himself a hut to live in, in this new puritan settlement. Maule was a hard working but obscure man, who was stubborn and protected what was his.
His rival arrived at the settlement about 30 to 40 years after Maule had been there. Colonel Pyncheon, an ambitious and determined man, had a high position in the town. It was said that Colonel Pyncheon was very much for the execution of those who practiced witchcraft, and it was also said that he very strongly sought the condemnation of Matthew Maule for being a wizard. Pyncheon did manage to have Maule executed but before maule placed a curse on Pyncheon and his descendants. These were Maule's exact words: God, God will give him blood to drink!
Many of the characters in the book were influenced by actual people in and during Nathaniel s life. For example: Colonel Pyncheon was based on The Reverend Wentworth Upham, a Minister and mayor of Salem. He wrote the books: Lectures on Witchcraft and History of Witchcraft and Salem Village. The Maule name was derived from Thomas Maule, a Quaker merchant living in Salem at the time of the trials. In Nathaniel s American Notebooks he records that his great great grandfather Judge Hawthorne, the judge in the witch trials, injured a neighbor named English once, who never forgave him. Yet English's daughter married Hathorne's son.
In the same way, the descendants of the Pyncheon's and the Maule's finally unite in marriage at the end of the story. The Pyncheon and the Maule who get married at the end are Phoebe and Holgrave. Phoebe is a smiling, public young woman. Holgrave is a kind artist (daguerreotypes) and is also the last descendant of Thomas Maule (this is revealed at the end of the story).
It is believed that his cousin, Susannah Ingersoll, was who he had in mind when creating the character of Miss Hepzibah Pyncheon. There is also evidence that Hawthorne had himself in mind when creating the character of Holgrave, and of his wife, Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, when creating Phoebe. The novel is structured much like any other. It consists of 21 chapters. The titles of these chapters are used to group the storyline of the novel.
The first begins the novel with a brief history of the house and an introduction to the characters, which will be discussed throughout the novel. Another example is in chapter 11, The Arched Window which discusses one of the main characters, Clifford, gazing out from the vantage point of the window while he is concealed and peering from behind the faded crimson of the curtain. The final chapter, The Departure ends the book on a good note, referring to the disappearing of all bad things and the returning of things to the way they were / were to be intended. Hawthorne s works contain a variety of literary techniques, and devices and a unique language.
His works reflect the lives and the struggles faced during existence, as most American literature. A prominent device in Hawthorne s works is symbols. Symbols are an eloquent way for an author to create a more fully developed work of art. The stories themselves tell a tale; however, an author also uses symbols to relay his message in a subtler manner. Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the earliest authors to use symbols as an integral part of his plots. This is clearly seen in both The Scarlet Letter and in The House of the Seven Gables.
The use of symbols causes an association psychology to enter into the story, making it more intriguing. In Nathaniel Hawthorne s romance The House of the Seven Gables, symbolism is used eloquently to enhance the story being told by providing the reader with a deeper insight into the more complicated intentions in the story. The novel begins by describing the most obvious symbol in the book, being the house itself, which is also personified. The elm tree outside of the house is very large in stature.
It is the symbol of nature and life. Clifford s clothing is even used as a symbol of his imprisonment. His dressing gown is worn and faded and has been soiled over time by house. The garden is also very symbolic.
Gardens are symbols of growth and renewal. It is not a coincidence that the only romantic scenes take place in the garden. The well in the garden symbolizes the past and tells the future of the Pyncheon family. The well was a spring of soft and pleasant water- a rare treasure on the sea grit peninsula when the land was first settled. The outside symbols bring the house into a very realistic setting with an intriguing quality. Inside of the house the characters also participate in the contrast of light verses dark.
The characters in The House of the Seven Gables symbolize the poles of human existence. Even when the characters are set alone, they are symbolic. Hepzibah and Clifford are the dark elements, and Phoebe, like the China, is the light. Holgrave is not light or dark; but rather, in the shadows.
Hawthorne wished for this book to be of a lighter spirit than his first The Scarlet Letter. To accomplish this, he used more normal characters. Phoebe is the symbol of good; Hawthorne describes her in one word: May. Like the month of May, she is blossoming into maturity. Phoebe enjoys nature.
Hawthorne exemplifies an example of a metaphor when he compares Phoebe to a ray of sunshine. Her character is the opposite of Judge Jeffery in many ways. The judge appears to be a very nice and sincere man, but appearances can deceive. He is a horrible and cruel man, very similar to his ancestor Colonel Pyncheon. Hepzibah is dark on the outside. She is old and a tall figure, clad in black silk feeling her way towards the stairs like a near-sighted person.
At the time this novel was published the entire United States had become enthralled with the daguerreotype. A daguerreotype is a picture of a person that when turned in a certain direction the negative can be seen. Thus when Hawthorne created the character Holgrave he used the daguerreotype as another name for him. Holgrave is symbolic of the young and prospering America.
Another symbol is the railroad. Hawthorne uses the railroad to symbolize a microcosm of society. It is through the railroad that Clifford and Hepzibah try to escape into society. The techniques present in the novel add to the language, which is simple and can be understood by a variety of readers. Hawthorne s style of writing is very relaxed and personal. By using the present tense, one feels as if he / she were within the story as it unfolds before him.
With this, one particularly feels the relevance of the irony of his novel today. Finally, Hawthorne s, The House of the Seven Gables, contains a variety of symbols, metaphors and other literary devices and techniques, all of which contribute to the overall language of the novel, which appeals to readers because of these characteristics. The story presents us with several themes. First, the sins of the forefathers are passed on to the next generations, and that become branded for life. Although one cannot undo hat have already been done, he can still strive to break the curse, and free himself from the spiral of sin. Second, man cannot live alone.
Isolation can draw out life from a being. Clifford and Hepzibah who had been living in seclusion for many years had become bitter and lifeless, but when they were re-united and Phoebe came into their lives, they became alive again. Third, social classes should not divide man. Hawthorne was obviously against aristocracy for he preaches through Holgrave that wanting to be above the rest leads to isolation and division. Hawthorne also tells us not to be deceived by appearances. do not judge a book by its cover, as it is commonly said.
The judges beautiful smile is as misleading as Hepzibah s scowl. Last, he says To inherit a great fortune. To inherit a great misfortune. These words, from Nathaniel Hawthorne s notebook, neatly encapsulate the theme of The House of the Seven Gables that a family whose fortunes are poisoned by its past misdeeds.
The sins of the Pyncheon father are visited upon his children over a period of several generations, until such time as one of his descendants unites with a member of the family he has wronged. Love conquers hate, and new blood washes away the original crime. The themes of the story present valuable lessons relevant even today. The House of the Seven Gables is a great classic. The symbols create a rich tapestry that is woven together to make this novel a masterpiece. Hawthorne s use of symbols has made this tapestry more elaborate and wonderful.
The mood of this romance is created through the symbols used. The themes present in this novel teach lessons that transcend time. The book is a great model of perfection, and it is a wonderful novel that has not had the attention it deserves. The book makes an intriguing representation of Hawthorne, and is a great classic that will last through the ages. This intriguing and insightful novel truly deserves its significant place in the canon of American Literature.
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