Mrs. Scott
19th century American novel
April 11, 2017
Growing Old The House of Seven Gables in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel of the same name is on its own an interesting structure. As the house nears two hundred years old, it seems to be cracking around the edges, ready to fall apart with one good storm. The house’s failings serve as a nearly perfect metaphor for the Pyncheon family on its own, but also politics and domestic policy within the United States during the 1850s, in which the novel is set. Thus, decay is a powerful symbol throughout the course of the novel, and comes to represent not only the Pyncheon family, but American unity at the time as well. The house represents the Pyncheon Family not only in that they live there, but also in that it has come to physically represent the family as well. What was once a domineering and …show more content…
When Hepzibah refuses to allow the judge to see Clifford, she is vehement that, no matter what, the judge will not harm Clifford. The same can be said of the southern states, who during the years leading up to secession had refused to give up their slaves and the plantation system. The house’s decay due to age, though simple, is also an excellent example of the American political climate: a slow decay, that while painfully obvious, cannot be solved with the available resources. Finally, Judge Pyncheon’s death, along with that of his ancestor Colonel Pyncheon, draws another interesting parallel. The Judge’s death is the Southern states splitting from the Union, while the earlier death of the Colonel is the original thirteen colonies splitting off from the British empire. Thus, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of Seven Gables draws parallels not only with the characters contained within, but with American History as