Home > The House of the Seven Gables Summary & Study Guide

The House of the Seven Gables | Introduction

The House of the Seven Gables, published in 1851 by the notable Boston publisher Ticknor, Reed & Fields, is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s third novel. Some of the novel’s themes can be found in his previous writings, specifically in Legends of the Province House (1830s) and “Peter Goldthwaite’s Treasure” (also written in the 1830s). In both of these tales, as in The House of the Seven Gables, Hawthorne explores issues of class and the pursuit of wealth against the backdrop of decaying residences. Interestingly, in terms of plot, The House of the Seven Gables reflects actual events in Hawthorne’s life and his family’s history. He came from a long history of privilege in New England, yet faced poverty following the death of his father. Some critics have drawn parallels between Hepzibah’s reticence to open the cent-shop and Hawthorne’s own angst about publishing his writing. Further, Hawthorne’s great-grandfather, John Hathorne (as the family’s name was then spelled), was one of three judges who presided over the witchcraft trials of 1692. Like Colonel Pyncheon, John Hathorne played a role (a direct one in fact) in putting people to death for alleged witchcraft practices. Some writers have commented on Hawthorne’s interest in the legacy of past family sins, which is a central theme in The House of the Seven Gables, because of his greatgrandfather’s involvement in the death of twenty wrongfully accused people. In the end, the characters in The House of the Seven Gables appear to be freed from the curse that has haunted their families for centuries. Though some speculate that Hawthorne forced a happy ending to this work to satisfy his publisher, and ultimately his readers, perhaps Hawthorne himself believed in the possibility that people have the ability to escape their pasts.

The House of the Seven Gables Summary

Preface
The House of the Seven Gables begins with a preface in which Hawthorne makes a point to tell readers that the tale they are about to read is a “Romance” rather than a traditional “Novel.” He proceeds to say that because the story is written as a Romance, it gives him creative license to present reader’s with his selective understanding of the truth instead of binding him to being true to life. He notes that Romances give writers a creative and subjective license to “mellow the lights and deepen and enrich the shadows of the picture.” Hawthorne also tells readers that the moral purpose of his work is to convey the notion that “the wrong-doing of one generation lives into the successive ones.” Despite this claim, however, he notes that he has not tried “to impale the story with its moral.” Finally, Hawthorne concludes that he did not intend to correlate the location or events in the story with any particular place or happenings in the County of Essex.

I: The Old Pyncheon Family
The first chapter opens with a description of the House of the Seven Gables, its history, and that of the Pyncheon and Maule families. In the mid- 1600s, Matthew Maule (the elder) settles in the County of Essex and establishes a homestead. Soon thereafter, Colonel Pyncheon decides he would like to build his familial estate on Matthew’s land. Matthew refuses to surrender his land. He is then put on trial for witchcraft and with Colonel Pyncheon’s full support, is hung. Just before dying, Matthew places a curse on Colonel Pyncheon, saying that “God will give him blood to drink.” Colonel Pyncheon acquires the land, builds his house using Thomas Maule, Matthew Maule’s son, as the architect. The day of his house-warming feast, to which he has invited the entire community, including many very esteemed society people, Colonel Pyncheon is found dead in his study with blood dripping from his mouth. Subsequent generations live in the house, believing that they are entitled to a large piece of land in Maine that Colonel Pyncheon was in the process of acquiring before he died. Many try to acquire the land, but fail.

More years pass, and thirty years before the beginning of the novel’s action, another wealthy Pyncheon (Jaffrey Pyncheon, the elder) dies. His nephew (Clifford) is accused, tried, and convicted of the murder and is sentenced to life imprisonment. Jaffrey Pyncheon (the elder) believed that Matthew Maule was wrongly robbed of his land and put to death and intended to make restitution to the Maule descendents. Following Clifford’s incarceration, Jaffrey Pyncheon’s other nephew (Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon) inherits the dead man’s wealth. Clifford’s sister (Hepzibah) remained living in the House of the Seven Gables, per her uncle’s will. Meanwhile, Maule’s descendents have all but died out. They long inhabited the town and were a “quiet, honest, well-meaning race of people, cherishing no malice done them,” who were said to have the power to influence people’s dreams.

The chapter concludes with a description of the giant elm tree in the yard, the flowers that grow between two of the gables, and the door on the front gable that leads to a once used retail space.

II: The Little Shop-Window
Hepzibah Pyncheon rises from bed, dresses, examines herself in the mirror, and pulls out a miniature (very small portrait) of a young man, who readers later learn is her brother, Clifford. She cries as she readies herself for the day and notices how cross she looks as a result of the scowl caused by her near-sightedness. Despite her almost permanent scowl, Hepzibah is said to have a “heart that never frowned. It was naturally tender, [and] sensitive.” Hepzibah faces the day in low spirits as she sets up the shop that she intends to open. Opening the shop is mortifying for her because she is an aristocrat by birth; however, she has no choice and must commence a business of her own in order to save herself from starvation. When she finally opens the shop door, she immediately runs inside the house to cry.

III: The First Customer
The first person to enter Hepzibah’s shop is her boarder, Holgrave. The daguerreotypist comes to the store to offer Hepzibah help with her preparations. He congratulates Hepzibah on her endeavor, noting that this venture is a promising new beginning for her that will give her a “sense of healthy and natural effort for a purpose.” Hepzibah views the situation quite differently and laments that she is no longer a lady. Holgrave counters that no Pyncheon lady has ever acted more heroically or nobly. Holgrave attempts to buy biscuits, but Hepzibah insists on giving them to him free. Holgrave departs and Hepzibah overhears two workmen discussing her shop. They discuss her disagreeable looks and the likely failure of her shop. As Hepzibah considers the possibility of failure, the shop-bell rings and a boy (Ned Higgins) enters. As with Holgrave, Hepzibah gives the child a gingerbread cookie for free. He shortly returns to request another cookie, for which Hepzibah takes his payment. Other customers follow and in several cases, Hepzibah does not stock... » Complete The House of the Seven Gables Summary