The House of the Seven Gables
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Contributed by Marinda Dreiling
Chapter 15
Summary

The Scowl and Smile: Without Phoebe, Clifford is cut off from whatever enjoyment he once had. An easterly storm sets in, preventing him from taking walks in the garden. Hepzibah seems to be possessed by the east wind, grim and disconsolate. The shop loses customers because of a story that she soured her small beer by scowling at it. Both Hepzibah and Clifford hear musical notes from Alice’s harpsichord succeeded by a harsher sound, the ringing of the shop bell. Judge Pyncheon visits and offers assistance, which Hepzibah refuses. She tells the Judge that Clifford is bedridden with a minor illness. Jaffrey wonders why Hepzibah protects Clifford from him, for he only wishes to promote his happiness. Hepzibah claims that Jaffrey hates Clifford. Jaffrey’s claim that he bears no ill will toward Clifford seems founded, for he is a man of respectable character, but Hepzibah’s prejudice may be founded despite his reputation. Men of his character possess vast ability in grasping and appropriating. Hepzibah seems to adopt the belief that it was her Puritan ancestor and not the modern judge on whom she had been wreaking bitterness. Judge Pyncheon demands to see Clifford before he leaves this house. Hepzibah claims that it would drive Clifford mad. Judge Pyncheon claims that Clifford could reveal the location of the deed to the lost land. He says that Clifford once boasted that he possessed the secret of incalculable wealth. Judge Pyncheon says that Clifford has concealed this because he considers him the enemy. Judge Pyncheon warns Hepzibah that he has taken the precaution to have Clifford looked after, and people have noticed his odd behavior. The Judge threatens Hepzibah with the possibility of having Clifford committed. Hepzibah accuses the Judge of committing the same crime as Colonel Pyncheon.

Analysis

Phoebe’s departure from the House of the Seven Gables is a pivotal event for both Clifford and Hepzibah; without the young girl to provide economic assistance to Hepzibah and a sense of emotional stability to Clifford, the two older Pyncheons are now more fragile than ever. Hepzibah continues to suffer because of her unpleasant appearance; her greatest flaw is her scowl, a physical feature that has no correlation to her fragile and kindly demeanor.

In this chapter, Hawthorne leaves behind the studied character description of the inhabitants of the House of the Seven Gables for a melodramatic tone that reflects the Pyncheon mythology. It is here that the feverish and lurid events of the Pyncheon past enter the contemporary setting. Hawthorne adds details appropriate to a ghost story: the chapter occurs in the midst of a dark and stormy evening, while Clifford even hears mysterious music from Alice’s harpsichord. When Jaffrey arrives, Judge Pyncheon reveals himself to be the grasping villain that his affinity with Colonel Pyncheon suggests. He, like the Colonel and Gervayse, seeks the deed to the lost land. However, in this chapter of the Pyncheon chronology, the victim is not a Maule, but instead another Pyncheon. Jaffrey’s threatening behavior toward Hepzibah and Clifford suggests that the perpetuation of this family sin has caused the Pyncheon family to collapse on itself; Judge Pyncheon is willing to harm his family in order to establish it as a dynasty.

The consequences of Clifford’s odd behavior become apparent in this chapter. Although Clifford has attempted to remain confined from the rest of society, he cannot hide his actions from the rest of the world. Even though Clifford believes himself to be safe within the House of the Seven Gables, he must accept that he does exist within the larger world.

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