In the novel the House of Seven Gables is the focal point of everything. It is in the house that we uncover the legacy of the Pyncheon family, descendants of a strict Puritan heritage and the Maule's (descendants of paupers). In the novel the house becomes personified. The house becomes a character that symbolizes the values and feelings of those inside. "The aspect of the venerable mansion has always affected me like a hu

The actions of Jaffrey are closely linked to those of his ancestor. He took the same steps needed to obtain what he desired. He, like his ancestor didn't care who he stepped on in order to accomplish his goals. He set his sights on what he wanted and made sure he got it. He followed the Pyncheon rules of domestic ideology to a "T".

The scene in the novel with Clifford and Hepzibah on the train is the culmination of the old maid's triumph, and a tribute to Clifford's no longer feeble-mindedness. In fact, Clifford becomes so self-sufficient he becomes Hepzibah's guardian towards the end of the novel: "At home, she was his guardian; here, Clifford had become hers, and seemed to comprehend whatever belonged to their new position with a singular rapidity of intelligence. " (226) Clifford, at the end of the novel, becomes strong willed, and self-sufficient, but only because Hepzibah's love made him so. It is this brotherly love that makes the "stagnant" old woman a true heroine and an almost pristine example of how the novel has its own definition of domestic ideology.

Can it have been an early lover of Miss Hepzibah's? No; she never had a lover - poor thing how could she? Nor ever knew, by her own experience, what love technically means. And yet, her undying faith and trust, her fresh remembrance, and continual devotedness towards the original of that miniature, have been the only substance for her heart to feed upon." (34) The original of that miniature, we learn later on in the novel, is Hepzibah's feeble-minded brother Clifford.

The rather lengthy introduction of the Colonel goes to show his role in the Pyncheon version of domestic ideology. The Colonel being the man of the house, the figurehead of the family was in charge. He took up the mantle of being the provider, which is a typical male role. He built a huge extravagant home at a rather high cost for the sake of his family and name. His treacherous task of murdering Maule was passed off as being necessary in a way. Maule stood in the way of a man and his family living their lives. To the Pyncheons, the Maules were just a bump in the road. In an askewed way, the murder of Maule could be seen as a means of progression in the eyes of Pyncheon domestic ideology. After all the term holds a strong connotation to family and could contain as well, a sub connotation of security pertaining to the right vs. wrong way to build a household, secure a household and rule overit. All of which the Colonel was more than capable of doing since he was following the Pyncheon version of domestic ideology.

She is, as a result of both the house and Maule's curse, a dull old hag. There is no sunshine in her day because she does not venture outside the melancholic house, and is consequently an unhappy person. Hawthorne describes her as being "stagnant," and it is hard to imagine how such a miserable old woman could possibly be a hero.

He comes to symbolize throughout the novel, the unhappiness in which the house imparts on its inhabitants. Clifford is so old and sickly that he becomes another burden in Hepzibah's life - he is her brother, and she is compelled to care for him, as burdensome as it may be. Even looking at Clifford becomes hard for Hepzibah, for she is emotionally distraught at his emasculated visage: "Her heart melted away in tears; her profoundest spirit sent forth a moaning voice, low, gentle, but inexpressibly sad. In this depth of grief and pity, she felt that there was no irreverence in gazing at his altered, aged, faded, ruined face." (104)

man countenance, bearing the traces not merely of outward storm and sunshine, but expressive also, of the long lapse of mortal life, and accompanying vicissitudes that have passed within." (11) Hawthorne describes the house as symbolic of the Pyncheon family that resides within, with its "shadowy and thoughtful gloom," and its "scattered shavings, chips and shingles." (17)

At the beginning of the novel the re

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Approximate Word count = 2989
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)