The House of the Seven Gables

Analyze The House of the Seven Gables as a work of Dark Romanticism (See: Background). In what ways does the novel conform to, or diverge from, the techniques, tropes, and/or themes typical of that literary movement?

Consider the characterization of Hepzibah. How is she depicted in the novel? What is the significance of her being the protagonist, as opposed to Clifford, Judge Pyncheon, or Phoebe? How does having Hepzibah at the center of the story shape the narrative?

The novel explores various forms of violence. How is violence depicted, both explicitly and implicitly? What does the novel suggest about the nature of violence, both socially—e.g., the Salem witch trials—and within families?

Analyze the notion of identity and belonging in the text. How do different characters construct their identities and sense of place? In what ways, if any, do ideas of identity and place evolve throughout the novel?

Examine the role of the narrator in the novel. How does the narrator approach the text—are they objective and omniscient, or do they have a more subjective approach? How does the narrator’s storytelling style influence the narrative?

Phoebe is skeptical about Holgrave’s preference for the “new” and his insistence that each generation should make their own home. How does the novel explore the tensions between old and new more generally?

Holgrave’s story of the executed Matthew Maule’s grandson’s hypnotism of Alice Pyncheon presents the Maules as responding to Pyncheon violence with violence of their own. What is the significance of this embedded story in relation to the rest of the novel? In what ways, if any, does it complicate the dynamics between the two families?

Explore the use of setting and atmosphere in the text. How are the novel’s important settings described? How does Hawthorne use elements of setting and/or atmosphere to shape characterization, drive the plot, and/or illuminate the novel’s key ideas?