Jonathan Doron
Seminar in Composition
Dr. Adam Johns
September 9, 2008
To change is to transform the condition or nature of an object or idea into something different than it once was. Change is donating millions of dollars to an impoverished school system so that it can flourish from its once despicable state. Change is making food and water readily available to small African tribes so that their quality of life can transform into the comfortable and rewarding one you and I enjoy today. In Hawthorne’s “The House of the Seven Gables” change could be more specifically defined as bettering the state of the house or the overall quality of life of the Pyncheons. The fact that the condition of the house is degrading is understood, therefore should not be considered as the type of change we’re focused on. Throughout the first fifteen chapters of the story, Hawthorne has given every indication that as hard as the Pyncheon’s may try, change is not possible.
“He sometimes made doleful complaint that there were no stage-coaches nowadays.” (Hawthorne, 112) This passage, (referring to Clifford) indicates that the world outside of the cursed house had succumbed to change. “And he asked in an injured tone what had become of all those old square-top chaises, with wings sticking out on either side, that used to be drawn by a plow horse, and driven by a farmer’s wife and daughter…” (Hawthorne, 112) This passage emphasizes the previous by giving blatant examples of what has changed outside of the house. While the world outside the house was modernizing and changing, the state of the house remained on course; downhill.
“Neither was the cobbler’s shoe finished, nor the blacksmith’s iron shaped out; nor was there a drop less of brandy in the toper’s bottle, nor a drop more of milk in the milkmaid’s pail, nor one additional coin in the miser’s strongbox, nor was the scholar a page deeper in his book.” (Hawthorne, 113) Here, Hawthorne is symbolizing the house using a crank machine that shows pictures moving in cycles. In the quote, Hawthorne is saying that as much effort as it seems the caricatures are putting into their affair, they have gotten no closer to achieving anything. To me, the fact that the pictures are figuratively “trying” and “failing” shows that as much as the Pyncheons work to change their condition, they’re going to fall right back into the same spot they were before.
Of course, you can say that the Pyncheons are trying, which is generally a lot more than we can say about the Pyncheons of the past. However, all their efforts seem to be getting them nowhere. “”Dear brother,” said she, earnestly, “let us go! We belong nowhere. We have not a foot of space in any church to kneel upon; but let us go…”” Here, both Clifford and Hepzibah get the brilliant idea of going to church; something new for them which could ultimately be considered as a change. However, Hawthorne does not allow that to happen. “They shrank back into the dusky passageway, and closed the door. But, going up the staircase again, they found the whole interior of the house tenfold more dismal, and their air closer and heaver, for the glimpse and breath of freedom which they had just snatched.” In this passage, the couple failed to even make it out the door in their adventure to go to church. Furthermore, when they had reentered the house, they were in worse condition than when they tried to leave it. Hawthorne is punishing Clifford and Hepzibah for trying to change. I believe that this failed attempt will be further incentive for the Pyncheons not to change.
Hawthorne is making it blatantly obvious to the reader that the quest to change is a difficult and painful one which implies severe, negative consequences. Understanding this is absolutely crucial to understanding the book in its entirety. After all, the entire beginning of the book is dedicated to letting the reader know how worthless and futile any attempt at change made by a Pyncheon has been, because after-all, The Pyncheons of today are in no better state than the Pyncheons long past. The story thus far has had no indication that the current quality of the house and the Pyncheons is going to convert into something better than it once was.
3 comments:
It is a good blog. You use many quotes from the book to show examples of change with the Pyncheon house and the people in it. The introduced was a little off because of the talking about Africa and impoverish schools but it was a good idea. You should try to explain the quotes a little bit more like one or two more sentences. Check grammar but everything seems pretty good besides that.
Jonathan Doron
Seminar in Composition
Dr. Adam Johns
September 9, 2008
Change
To change is to transform the condition or nature of an object or idea into something different than it was before. In Hawthorne’s “The House of the Seven Gables” change could be more specifically defined as bettering the state of the house or the overall quality of life of the Pyncheons. The fact that the condition of the house is degrading is understood, therefore should not be considered as the type of change we’re focused on. One of the main ideas of the story is how the wrongdoings of an ancestor can affect the family for years to come. Hawthorne has made it clear that the condition of the house and the Pyncheon’s has been on a steady decline ever since the Colonel’s deeds against Maule. Throughout the first fifteen chapters of the story, Hawthorne has given every indication that as hard as the Pyncheon’s may try to rid themselves of their curse, truly changing the way they live is not possible.
“He sometimes made doleful complaint that there were no stage-coaches nowadays.” (Hawthorne, 112) This passage, (referring to Clifford) indicates that the world outside of the cursed house had succumbed to change. “And he asked in an injured tone what had become of all those old square-top chaises, with wings sticking out on either side, that used to be drawn by a plow horse, and driven by a farmer’s wife and daughter…” (Hawthorne, 112) This passage emphasizes the previous by giving blatant examples of what has changed outside of the house. The examples given are from memories that Clifford holds from times before his long imprisonment and clearly indicates that the world was not the same as it was about thirty years ago. While the world outside the house was modernizing and changing, the state of the house remained on course; downhill.
“Neither was the cobbler’s shoe finished, nor the blacksmith’s iron shaped out; nor was there a drop less of brandy in the toper’s bottle, nor a drop more of milk in the milkmaid’s pail, nor one additional coin in the miser’s strongbox, nor was the scholar a page deeper in his book.” (Hawthorne, 113) Here, Hawthorne is symbolizing the house using a crank machine that shows pictures moving in cycles. In the quote, Hawthorne is saying that as much effort as it seems the caricatures are putting into their endeavors, they have made no progress in achieving anything. To me, the fact that the pictures are figuratively “trying” and “failing” shows that as much as the Pyncheons work to change their condition, they’re going to fall right back into the same spot they were before. I believe that the cycles in which pictures are moving represent the many past, present and future attempts by the Pyncheons to change. These attempts have and will continue to fail.
Of course, you can say that the Pyncheons are trying, which is generally a lot more than we can say about the Pyncheons of the past. However, all their efforts seem to be getting them nowhere. If anything, their efforts put them in a worst situation than they were prior to their attempt at change. “”Dear brother,” said she, earnestly, “let us go! We belong nowhere. We have not a foot of space in any church to kneel upon; but let us go…”” Here, both Clifford and Hepzibah get the brilliant idea of going to church; which is something new for them which could ultimately be considered as a change. However, Hawthorne does not allow that to happen. “They shrank back into the dusky passageway, and closed the door. But, going up the staircase again, they found the whole interior of the house tenfold more dismal, and their air closer and heaver, for the glimpse and breath of freedom which they had just snatched.” In this passage, the couple failed to even make it out the door in their adventure to go to church. Furthermore, when they had reentered the house, they were in worse condition than when they tried to leave it. Hawthorne is punishing Clifford and Hepzibah for trying to change. If Hawthorne continues to punish the Pyncheons every time they try to change, the Pyncheons eventually won’t even have an incentive to try.
Hawthorne is making it blatantly obvious to the reader that the quest to change is a difficult and painful one which implies severe, negative consequences. Understanding this is absolutely crucial to understanding the book in its entirety. After all, the entire beginning of the book is dedicated to letting the reader know how worthless and futile any attempt at change made by a Pyncheon has been, because after-all, The Pyncheons of today are in no better state than the Pyncheons long past. The story thus far has had no indication that the current quality of the house and the Pyncheons is going to convert into something better than it once was.
Jessica - this is a rather perfunctory response, although bringing up the tangents was a good move.
Jonathan - Defining change at the beginning, then discussing the decline of the house was an interesting and, I think, smart choice, though I'm unconvinced that "decline" is basically a form of changelessness rather than of change.
Your readings of the passages are fine, but you don't move beyond what we did in class, despite having revised the paper. I grow more and more curious about why you don't consider decline to be a form of change, by the way...
All in all, I found your introduction to be stimulating and surprising; the following paragraphs, though, revisit territory we went over in class, and that other people have covered in detail; moreover, you ignore the parts of the book which pose problems for your argument.
At the risk of seeming repetitive, I have to ask again - why isn't decline change? You had an opportunity to do something very different here, if you'd worked more on that question...
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