The House of the Seven Gables: Ancestry, Appearances, and Personal Responsibility

I finished reading "The House of the Seven Gables" by Nathaniel Hawthorne! I thought it was a good book that delved into some of Hawthorne's concerns about the generational impact of sin. As usual,
I would like to share some of the things I found while I was reading. Starting now:

1. Our past and our ancestry have a strong influence on us and may impact our lives in direct ways

At the beginning of this book, we learn that one of the ancestors of our main characters was a greedy man who was always grasping for more. In the midst of his greed, this man even accuses another man of witchcraft so that he can take his land from him. When we flash forward to the present, we find this man's descendants dealing with two alternatives: they can either embrace this generational sin of greed, following after the spirit of this old colonel, or they can resist the temptation to follow him and renounce this sin. in both cases, it can be seen that the past has influenced these people, either to emulate or avoid. I think part of Hawthorne's concern with the past has to do with his own personal history. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a descendant of John Hathorne, a judge at the Salem Witch Trials who never once regretted sentencing those people, some who were witches and many who were not, to death. I think Hawthorne was concerned about the impact that this personal history may have on him.

2. Life is not a spectator sport

I'm borrowing this quote from Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", but it is certainly a theme in this book as well. Hawthorne has three characters: Hepzibah, Clifford and Holgave who have all spent their lives avoiding human involvement, which has left most of them feeling lonely. When Holgrave is talking to another character, Phoebe, he explains that he cares about people but would prefer to observe their trouble instead of getting involved. Phoebe rebukes him for this behavior and tells him that if he really cares about others, he would do something and not just watch others suffer. Two other characters finally are able to leave their home and interact with the people around them, giving them considerable joy. Don't just observe, get out there!

3. A person's external appearance doesn't necessarily indicate the internal state of their heart

Hawthorne shows several characters who are drastically different from what the popular perception of them would seem to indicate. Hepzibah is a woman who has problems with her eyesight which gives her the tendency to sneer at the most inopportune times. The people around her see her as unkind or rude, but the truth is that she is extremely kind to her brother, looking after him when is distant from reality. She also befriends a young artist who she invites to live in her house. Another character seems, in all respects, to be a kind, helpful gentleman but he is actually a hypocrite who is covering up the considerable evil he has done in the past as well as a greed that allows him to ignore the needs of others in favor of his own wants. His virtue and his smiling face are both a facade. At the end of the story, there is another man who offers deep insights like a philosopher. When his friends tell him about his philosophical gift, this man tells them that all of the people who were around him when he was younger considered him to be slow and dim in his intelligence. There is a lot more to someone than what we see on the outside.

4. Be a ray of sunshine that brings light into people's lives

One of the most memorable characters in this book is Phoebe, she is Hepzibah and Clifford's cousin and she comes into the house of the seven gables which has become a gloomy place and brightens it with her smile and her willingness to completely invest in the people around her. Many critics point out the similarities between Phoebe and Hawthorne's wife which makes me smile because this was the way that he saw her. As Phoebe prepares to leave on a short trip, she is approached by several people who thank her for the encouragement that she has given them, asking her to hurry back as quickly as she can. We all have the opportunity to brighten the lives of others. A simple smile, some kind words, or even a note of encouragement to someone has had an influence in your life can help to make the world that much brighter. I hope I can achieve this to some extent in my life.

5. Just because the majority of people disagree with you, doesn't necessarily mean that you are wrong

There is a point in the book when Hepzibah and her brother are threatened by an upstanding member of the community who everyone considers to be honorable. Hephzibah realizes that even if she called out for help, the villagers would probably take the side of this man over hers even though she knows the truth. This places her in a situation where she cannot ask for help and must find a solution on her own. Sometimes, we may find ourselves in a position where everyone else may disagree with us about something. If we are speaking for the truth, we should stand by it, even if we're standing alone.

6. Don't let your Greed Compromise your Relationships with Others

In this book, there are characters who allow greed to consume them in a similar manner to Ahab in Moby Dick who allows his desire for the White Whale to overcome his ability to maintain his interpersonal relationships, causing him to use the people around him as pawns. This book expresses similar behavior in these characters by allowing their grasping, greedy pursuits to lead them into making compromises that they shouldn't. One character allows a master of magic to hypnotize his own daughter so that she can help them find the deed to a vast fortune. This hypnotist retains his control over the man's daughter and this eventually leads to her inadvertent death. It isn't wrong to desire wealth, but it is wrong to sell out other people in order to secure it.

7. Own up to your mistakes

One of the characters in this book falls on desperate times and decides to steal some money from his uncle. As he is doing this, his uncle walks in on him and dies on the spot (Talk about bad timing). Instead of telling the police that his uncle died of natural causes as he was attempting to rob him, this man, afraid of being caught stealing, frames his cousin for the robbery which ultimately causes this cousin to be falsely accused of murder and sent to prison. If this man had simply admitted his wrongdoing, he would have prevented a lot of pain and heartache.

I think the main point of this novel is that every individual is ultimately responsible for their own actions. Although the sins of the father may impact future generations by presenting them with legitimate temptations, each person is responsible for the choices they make and should endeavor to make good choices