House of 7 Gables

A detailed Summary of House of 7 Gables

"So much of mankind's varied experience had passed there-so much had been suffered, and something, too, enjoyed-that the very timbers were oozy, as with the moisture of a heart. It was itself like a great human heart, with a life of it's own, and full of sombre reminiscences."

Such is the Pyncheon mansion in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables. It is the most important symbol in the story because of its comprehensive quality. It is a living sentient organism, like a "great human heart" which is represented by the great chimney in the center; it warms and unifies the entire structure. The house shows the effects of time, and mortality through physical weathering; it is the inanimate representation of the history of the Pyncheon family.

The many lives that the old mansion holds are complexly intertwined. It has existed for decades and has been the place where heart warming as well as dark events has taken place. This is evident in the appearance of the house. The window projections have been covered with green moss, which has the effect of softening the weather beaten outward appearance of the house and also helps to connect it to nature. However, the burdocks, which grow freely around the house, add to its da

Most importantly there are the similarities between the house and the judge who is the personification of Pyncheon evil. He is the modern reincarnation of the Colonel and so he is linked to the portrait and the evil that it represents. Also, the judge is like the house in physical massiveness and darkness. The most important link between them is the Maule curse. While the house was built upon the dead Maule it concealed the secret of the dead colonel and ironically is to conceal the hidden corpse of the judge himself. The judge has no interest in the house instead he lives in a more modern estate. By rejecting the house, he rejects all that is good and human in it but does not manage to evade the evil.

The Pyncheon house is the most important symbol in The House of the Seven Gables. It is the embodiment of the Pyncheon past. It is the heart of the family; it is warm and human. At the same time the darkness and gloom which plague's the family is unmistakably recognized in the physical appearance of the house. "Life is made up of marble and mud" and so is the history of the Pyncheon family and The House of the Seven Gables.

The evil of the house is centered in the portrait, the chair, and the chamber of the old Colonel. The portrait displays the stern, evil features of th

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 871
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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House of 7 Gables

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