Hawthorne's Personality Revealed in His Novel, The House of the Seven Gables
"At the moment of execution--with the halter about his neck, and while Colonel Pyncheon sat on horseback, grimly gazing at the scene--Maul had addressed him from the scaffold, and uttered a profecy, of which history, as well as fireside tradition, has preserved the very words.--'God,' said the dying man, pointing his finger with a ghastly look at the undismayed countenance of his enemy, 'God will give you blood to drink'"(12)! The House of the Seven Gables portrays many emotions throughout the novel. Writers express themselves through their literature using many different traits. They write about what they know, and who better to portray than the writer himself. The House of the Seven Gables is a perfect example of a writer portraying himself and his emotions. Nathaniel Hawthorne gives his readers an insight to his personality through the characters in this classic novel with the use of characterization, similes, and many other writing traits.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts which is known as, "America's capital of hauntings, diabolical occurrences, and Puritan hellfire" (Reader's Digest). The characters of his stories are usually lonely and reclusive, and this novel is no exception. Hawthorne himself stated that, "Seven Gables was 'more characteristic of the author, and a more natural book for me to write.'" (Reader's Digest).
One of the most important characters is this novel is that of Hepzibah Pyncheon. Hepzibah is an old woman with a pessimistic outlook on life. She is a very unattractive lady who scowls all that look upon her. Her pleasantness is lacking, and her loneliness is getting the best of her. Miss Hepzibah Pyncheon also believes that she is what is perceived about her which makes matters worse. She is the first character introduced into the novel, besides that of background characters. Hepzibah is introduced as waking up at about sunrise, but as Hawthorne writes, he would not consider her to be waking, but getting up from a night of poor sleep. Hepzibah's longing for someone to want to be with her can be expressed as she is described, "she had never had a lover--poor thing, how could she?--nor ever knew, by her own experience, what love technically means" (31).
Expressing traits similar to how Hawthorne is perceived, he writes mainly through Hepzibah. While most writers were pessimistic in the nineteenth century, Hawthorne is no exception.
In Canada, women make up slightly more than half of the population. However, throughout Canadian history and modern day, women are needing to stand up for themselves and other women to bring about change. Canadian women are strong and have the power to work together and bring about change. Jennie Trout stood up for Canadian women that wanted to be in the medical field, women during WWI made a difference in their lives by entering the workplace and standing for their right to work, Nellie McClung was a leader for women’s suffrage, and The Famous Five campaigned and won The “Persons” Case allowing women to be considered persons under the Canadian Constitution. These women were instigators of change. Change for women only occurs when ambitious and courageous women stand up for a difference that they deserve.
Nick Carroway is not a very judgmental person, in fact, he himself states that he withholds judgment so that he can get the entire story out of the person to whom he is listening. To say that Nick is both approving and disapproving is not suspiring, for Nick rarely looks at things from only one perspective. Nick finds Gatsby to be ignorantly honest, in that Gatsby could not fathom the idea of saying something without really meaning it. He respects Gatsby for his determination to fit in with the East Egg crowd, though Gatsby does not realize that he does not really fit in with them. On the other hand, Nick sees Gatsby to be excessively flashy and, in the words of Holden Caulfield, 'phony.' Gatsby's whole life is a lie from the moment he left behind the name James Gatz and became Jay Gatsby. Gatsby lies about his past to try to have people perceive him as an 'old money' guy when that really is not necessary. Gatsby's valiant efforts to lure Daisy are respectable, yet they show Gatsby's failure to accept reality and give up on his long lost dream.
From the first Great War, to the Great Depression, and after the Second World War, you could say that Canada had been transformed significantly. Since the day the British North American Act was enacted in 1867, Canada was a small and developing country. The Second World War had been one of its biggest challenges yet and the countries future prospects tremendous benefits especially in the fields of political development, social development, and economical development. It was a great struggle to get where she is today and WW2 was a major contributing factor to why Canada is such a strong and unified nation
As the narrator of the novel, every event and piece of knowledge presented in the The Great Gatsby is filtered through Nick, although he credits himself as “one of the few honest people that I have ever known” the reader can deduce his inclination to lie, since his hypocritical comment that in spite of his “[inclination] to reserve all judgements” he has become “the victim of not a few veteran bores” (Fitzgerald 59, 1). Nick desires to be part of the upper class shown through his move to West Egg and his values held in luxury over truth causing him to highly regard tactfully convincing liars and mock amateurs. He admires a woman whose bold lies show a “surprising amount of character”, yet claims “dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply” (Fitzgerald 163, 58). On the other hand, Gatsby’s vibrant, “threadbare” yarns are worthy of mocking along with his supposed ruby collection and overly excited display of his Oxford photograph to prove he went there. While Nick is quick to point out deceit in the ways of others, he is oblivious to his own bias, hypocrisy, and lies, creating a delusion of self-righteousness. After starting to go out with Jordan, he reveals a “vague understanding” with a girl back in Minnesota, Nick’s home, that should be
Waggoner, Hyatt H. “Nathaniel Hawthorne.” In Six American Novelists of the Nineteenth Century, edited by Richard Foster. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1968.
Ultimately, Nick is an unreliable narrator who overlooks Gatsby’s lies because of his biased judgment of him. Nick portrays Gatsby as a generous and charismatic figure while in reality, he is a duplicative and obsessed man entangled in illegal business who is determined on an unattainable goal. It is highly ironic that Nick judges others for their lack of morality and honesty; his own character is plagued by lies as he abets Gatsby in many of his schemes.
Have you ever wondered which events in Canadian history have been the most significant in shaping Canadian identity? Many significant events in the twentieth century left a lasting legacy for Canada. Canada would not be the culturally rich, prosperous and progressive nation that it is today, without its immigration patterns in the past. World War I (WWI) was also a significant event as it united Canada and left behind a legacy of sacrifice and national pride. Economic development during the post war period contributed to Canadian success nationally and globally. Immigration, WWI and economic development were significant events in Canadian twentieth century history. Each event brought new and powerful
Following World War 1, Canada became bitterly divided due to the political change moves. For one of the first times, women started to stand in equality. Towards the end of the decade, the “Person’s Case” was established, which is case stating that women are eligible to partake in the Canadian Senate. Before this case women were not considered “person’s” in the eyes of the law, and according to the BNA act only “persons” were aloud to join the Canadian Senate. However, the famous five, Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby changed that case as well as the world for women. Soon, women were having the same rights as men. Another challenge faced, was the Winnipeg general strike which occurred in 1919. Winnipeg’s building trades workers walked off their jobs demanding for higher wages and less working hours. Soon, everyone started to leave their jobs. This caused problems because families were unsuccessful in obtaining the resources they needed. To stop this maddened the government started to arrest individuals. The General Strike left a legacy of bitterness and controversy among labour groups across Canada. It was a failure. The “Persons’s Case” and Winnipeg general strike have come to symbolize the politics of the
For five years, Gatsby was denied the one thing that he desired more than anything in the world: Daisy. While she was willing to wait for him until after the war, he did not want to return to her a poor man who would, in his eyes, be unworthy of her love. Gatsby did not want to force Daisy to choose between the comfortable lifestyle she was used to and his love. Before he would return to her, he was determined to make something of himself so that Daisy would not lose the affluence that she was accustomed to possessing. His desire for Daisy made Gatsby willing to do whatever was necessary to earn the money that would in turn lead to Daisy’s love, even if it meant participating in actions...
Before a person is well recognized in society, they need to go though a lot of trouble, discrimination, and change to get there. No one judges them by their individual merit. This also applies to countries. The government of a country is always trying to get themselves in a higher position around the globe. This is done so they are well established for their good qualities. Canada is also a name in the list of such nations. Recognition was really hard for Canada to get because of the fact that it is one of the younger countries. Over the years, Canada has really shaped as a nation politically, economically, and socially. These three factors have affected the nations past, affecting the present, and will definitely affect the future. For instance, three examples of such events from each section of the course are: The Person’s Case, the Baby Boom, and lastly, The Montreal Massacre.
Nick is our narrator and the voice of reason in a time and place where parties are the goals and having a good time is all that matters. Parties at Gatsby’s mansion are the rule not the exception and all who attend pay homage to their false prophet Gatsby. He is their leader the charming man living in a mansion and driving and awesome care. Too bad he has no sense of real worth. Yet nick seems to be loyal to him the whole time “They're a rotten crowd, “I shouted across the lawn. “You're worth the whole damn bunch put together.”I’ve always been glad I said that. It was the only compliment I ever gave him, because I disapproved of him from beginning to end. First he nodded politely, and then his face broke into that radiant and understanding smile, as if we’d been in ecstatic cahoots on that fact all the time” (Pg 162). Nick appears on the sidelines more than in the mix with all the drinkers and boasters and unfaithful spouses. “I forgot to ask you something,...
At the end of the book, it is revealed that all of Tom, Daisy, and Nick are extremely careless. Nick’s carelessness detriments his reliability as a narrator. Because of Nick’s deep and familiar connection with Gatsby, Gatsby is “the exception” and Nick cannot be a reliable narrator towards him. Nick really admires and appreciates Gatsby as a friend, although it seems that Gatsby may not feel nth same way ads Nick. Gatsby may have befriended Nick solely because of his connection with Daisy. Nicks obsession with Gatsby and Gatsby’s obsession with
At the beginning of the book Nick sees Gatsby as a mysterious shady man. In the beginning of the chapter Nick somewhat resents Gatsby. In Nick’s opinion Gatsby was the representation of “…everything for which I have unaffected scorn.” (Fitzgerald 2). Nick sees Gatsby as what he hates the most in life, rich folk. Since the start of the novel it was obvious that had “Disapproved of him from beginning to end.” (Fitzgerald 154). As time passes, Nick realizes his neighbor has quite a mysterious past. Some think he’s a bootlegger, and a different person wa...
Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The House of Seven Gables, reveals Judge Pyncheon’s character in a strategic manner to show the shallowness in Judge Pyncheon’s good deeds. The author uses the position of details, diction, and tone to express his dislike for Judge Pyncheon’s character and also to reveal the judges character as two-fold, first good, then evil.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of America's most renowned authors, demonstrates his extraordinary talents in two of his most famed novels, The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. To compare these two books seems bizarre, as their plots are distinctly different. Though the books are quite seemingly different, the central themes and Hawthorne's style are closely related (Carey, p. 62). American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne is most famous for his books THE SCARLET LETTER and THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES, which are closely related in theme, the use of symbolism, characterization, and style.