Allusions In The House Of Seven Gables

In the novel A House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, an ancestor of the Pyncheon family falsely accuses a man named Matthew Maule of witchcraft, leading to his death. Before he is hung, Maule is cursed the Pyncheon family for generations to come. The curse leaves the family living a dark and impoverished life, until a distant cousin, Phoebe Pyncheon alters their lives. Although Phoebe is a part of the family, she is able to reverse their misery with her uplifting attitude. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne exemplifies the theme of inherited sin through the Pyncheon family as displayed through his uses of imagery, allusion, and tonal shift.
Hawthorne heavily relies on imagery throughout the novel to demonstrate the undying curse

casted upon the Pyncheon family. This imagery is prevalent when the house of seven gables is first introduced in the first chapter of the novel. Hawthorne explains, “The terror and ugliness of Maule’s crime, and the wretchedness of his punishment, would darken the freshly plastered walls,” (Hawthorne 14). The house was as damned as the Colonel had been and how the family would come to be, especially since the family would have no way to escape the brutality of the curse bestowed on Pyncheon. Instead, this would be the main source of the darkness that his family would endure. Furthermore, Hawthorne describes an old portrait of Colonel Pyncheon which cannot be removed from the wall, as per his will. Clifford exclaims, “Why do you so keep that odious picture on the wall? … I have told you a thousand times that is was the evil genius of the house” (Hawthorne 101). The painting set on the wall is a constant reminder of the imminent lifetime of misery that the Pyncheon family must bear. As long as this portrait hangs, it serves as a constant reminder of the misfortunes and evident decline in the social hierarchy of their lives. Both uses of imagery and symbolism display the darkness that looms over the Pyncheon’s and the constant anguish embodying the family based on the inherited sin of the Colonel.
Diction also plays a strong role throughout this novel and is especially seen in the tonal shift that arises when Phoebe arrives and when she leaves the house of seven gables.

There is a miserable gloominess prevalent within the house, but there is a sense of light conjured from the arrival of Phoebe. Hawthorne writes, “ It is a kind of natural magic that enables these favored ones to bring out the hidden capabilities of things around them; and particularly to give a look of comfort and habitableness to any place” (Hawthorne 68). Upon Phoebe’s arrival, everything remains dreary within the shop and the house, but as soon as she begins to help her elderly cousin, Hepzibah, and gain permission to remain in the house, everything gradually becomes easier and more pleasant. The plants in the garden begin to bloom, the shop sells nearly all of its merchandise, and Clifford and Hepzibah grow genuinely happy. The tone Hawthorne utilizes remains hopeful, that is until Phoebe has to return home. When she leaves, a darker energy prevails. Hawthorne explains, “ In fact… an easterly storm had set in, and indefatigably applied itself to the task of making the black roof and walls of the old house look more cheerless than ever before” (Hawthorne 196). Phoebe’s departure sparked a terrible storm over New England, Clifford refuses to get out of bed, and the store loses business. Everything becomes more dour and sullen than it was before she had arrived. This tonal shift demonstrates the brief period of happiness that created from Phoebe’s

visit.
Allusions play a major role in the description of characters for Hawthorne within the novel as seen through the two major characters, Judge Pyncheon and Phoebe. Judge Pyncheon, the antagonist, is a man who hides his bitterness behind a deceiving smile. Hawthorne explains, “… a red fire kindled in his eyes, and he made a quick pace forward, with something inexpressibly fierce and grim darkening forth” (Hawthorne 117). This fire alludes to hell and the Devil, portraying act to hide his true, cruel intentions. The temper displayed within the Judge’s eyes dissuades the previous ideas that were mentioned, when Judge Pyncheon explains that he will help release his cousins from their impoverished state. On the contrary, Phoebe is associated with all things light and good in the world. She is the source of happiness in the house and without her, everything becomes dreary and almost unbearable. Hawthorne writes, “They can never do without you now—never!—No more than if one of God’s angels had been living with them, making their house dismal and comfortable!” (Hawthorne 194). Uncle Venner alludes to Phoebe as being an angel who has instilled joy within the household of misery. Until she had arrived, nothing mattered to Clifford or his sister except the anger and resentment that coursed through their veins. These allusions relate back to heaven and hell, which surround the sin in its entirety.
Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes imagery, diction, and an allusion to portray the theme of sin inherited through the Pyncheon family. These rhetorical devices provide a distinct view on the roles of characters within A House of Seven Gables, which helps the audience grasp the overall message that Hawthorne attempts to convey. Although there is a brief relief on the concept of inherited sin, the reader has the ability to tie these ideas together and understand the true theme of this novel.