Summary of the work - Sykalo Eugen 2023

Short summary - The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classic novel that tells the story of the Pyncheon family, who have been living in their ancestral home for generations. The novel is set in the mid-19th century, in Salem, Massachusetts, and is a complex work of fiction that explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the effects of the past on the present.

The novel opens with a description of the house, which is portrayed as a gloomy and ominous place. The Pyncheon family's history is dark and cursed, with the family patriarch, Colonel Pyncheon, having been accused of stealing the land on which the house was built from its original owner, Matthew Maule. Maule was executed for witchcraft, and before he died, he cursed the Pyncheon family, saying that they would all be haunted by the ghosts of their ancestors.

The novel follows the current generation of the Pyncheon family, who are struggling to maintain their wealth and status. Hepzibah Pyncheon, the main character, is an aging spinster who lives in the house with her brother, Clifford, who has recently been released from prison. The family's financial situation is dire, and they are forced to open a shop in the front of the house to make ends meet.

As the story progresses, the Pyncheon family's past begins to catch up with them. The arrival of a distant relative, Phoebe, brings hope and light into their lives, but it also brings danger. The family's dark secrets are revealed, and the curse of Matthew Maule comes back to haunt them.

The novel is divided into four parts, each of which explores a different aspect of the Pyncheon family's history. In the first part, we learn about the founding of the family and the curse that has haunted them for generations. We are introduced to the Pyncheon family and the Maule family, whose dark history is intertwined with that of the Pyncheons. In this part, we also get a sense of the gloomy and ominous atmosphere that surrounds the house.

In the second part, we meet Hepzibah and Clifford and learn about their struggles to survive in the present. Clifford has just been released from prison, where he had been incarcerated for thirty years on false charges. Hepzibah is struggling to keep the family afloat in the face of financial difficulties. The arrival of Phoebe, a distant relative, brings some hope and light into their lives, but it also brings danger, as her presence threatens to reveal the family's dark secrets.

In the third part, the story takes a darker turn, as the Pyncheon family's past begins to catch up with them. We learn about the events that led to Clifford's imprisonment and the family's descent into darkness. We also see the curse of Matthew Maule start to take effect, as the ghosts of the family's ancestors begin to haunt them.

In the final part, the family's secrets are revealed, and the curse is broken. We learn about the truth behind the Pyncheon family's dark history and the events that led to the curse being placed upon them. The novel ends on a hopeful note, with the curse finally broken and the family able to move on from their dark past.

Hawthorne's writing in The House of the Seven Gables is poetic and evocative, with rich descriptions of the house and its surroundings. His characters are complex and nuanced, with each character having their own motivations and desires. The novel is a masterpiece of American literature, and it continues to captivate readers today with its haunting atmosphere and exploration of the darker side of American history.