Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables is a story more akin to a moral fable than the gothic writing one might expect from a piece of nineteenth century horror. Set across two centuries, and varying between the present and past, Hawthorne captures the peculiar nature of the fallen noble even in a land without kings. Beyond the more obvious lesson of the importance of observing the 'golden rule,' the author paints a grim picture of the outcome of filling oneself too fully with pride. If, "pride goeth before a fall," then the family portrayed in this tale has long reached rock bottom and does little more than wallow in the muck with upturned noses.
[...] The house of the seven gables: A review Reason, Type, and Setting: Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables is a story more akin to a moral fable than the gothic writing one might expect from a piece of nineteenth century horror. Set across two centuries, and varying between the present and past, Hawthorne captures the peculiar nature of the fallen noble even in a land without kings. Beyond the more obvious lesson of the importance of observing the 'golden rule,' the author paints a grim picture of the outcome of filling oneself too fully with pride. [...]
[...] As the illusion surrounding the house of seven gables begins to crumble, the family is further undone from within. Hepzibah's cousin, Jaffery, plays the role of the only true villain in the novel abusing the political power afforded to him as a judge and man of respect and honor. Believing that Clifford possesses an ancient document detailing his rights to a vast section of land, measurable only by miles, Jaffery threatens Hepzibah stating that if Clifford does not relinquish the location of the deed he will most assuredly have him forcibly placed in a public asylum. [...]
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