Jonathan Doron
Dr. Adam Johns
ENGCMP 0200
September 2, 2008
Throughout the first five chapters of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The house of the Seven Gables” I’ve found the most obvious theme to be history; more specifically, how the present is affected by history. In essence, the entire first chapter of the book is a history of the house and the land it stands on. Aside from chronological history, the book stresses family history. “The popular imagination, indeed, long kept itself busy with the affair of the old Puritan Pyncheon and the wizard Maule; the curse which latter flung from his scaffold, was remembered, with the very important addition that it had become part of the Pyncheon inheritance.“ This quote, taken from the first chapter of the story, clearly represents the main theme (history) of the story.
“…the affair of the old puritan Pyncheon and the wizard Maule; the curse which latter flung from his scaffold, was remembered…” clearly states that the Colonel Pyncheon and Maule had an “affair”. “…was remembered…” clearly indicates that it had happened in the past, making it an event in history. Throughout the first five chapters of the story, we find that the historic affair between Pyncheon and Maule affects the future of the Colonel Pyncheon, and even continues to affect his descendants. This leads me to the last part of the quote. “…with the very important addition that it had become part of the Pyncheon inheritance.” Like I mentioned in the first paragraph, the book stresses family history. The deeds that Colonel Pyncheon committed towards Maule had lead Maule to curse not only Pyncheon, but his descendants as well. Until now at least, Maule’s curse on Pyncheon has lingered throughout several generations.
Even though “The House of the Seven Gables” takes it’s setting far in the past, it’s theme of history and its effects on the present are still blatant today. For example; if my parent’s had not met, then I would not be here typing this paper today. The connection between the past and the present can be viewed as a cause-effect relationship; the event in history being the cause, and the world today as the effect. This idea is clearly seen when Hawthorne recounts the tale of Pyncheon and Maule. Pyncheon accusing Maule of witchcraft (and in turn becoming cursed) is the cause of the way Pyncheon’s descendants live thereafter.
Even today , there are still many conditions that are inherited due to the wrongdoing of someone who is above you on the family tree (as was the case for the Pyncheons). An issue which is unfortunately seen today is the birth of an HIV-infected baby. Through no fault of his/her own, the baby has to live the rest of his/her life being infected with the HIV virus. Because the mother did not take the proper steps to protect herself from contracting the virus prior to the baby’s birth, the baby now has to suffer consequences along with the mother. This again relates to Colonel Pyncheon’s wrongdoing towards Maule and the curse that infects the Colonel’s descendants. Because Colonel Pyncheon decided to be unjust towards Maule, Pyncheon’s descendants must now suffer the consequences.
Even in 1851 (the year the book was published) there had already been thousands of years of history affecting Hawthorne’s world. Had Johann Gutenberg not invented the printing press, Hawthorne would not be the revered man he is today. There will always be an event in the past that determines the way you live today, including your mere existence. History will continue to exist and affect the present and the future as long as there is any form of matter in this universe. History is the inevitable time that has already past, and there will never be anything that anyone could do about it. “What’s done, is done.”
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3 comments:
I like how you talk about the connection between history and the present. The opening paragraph is very good. I like how you used a quote from he book, but you need to state where you found it in the book, not just saying in the first chapter.
The body paragraphs have good arguments, but you need more examples than just the couple quotes you used. I like the connection with the mother having negative effects on her HIV infected baby.
In the last paragraph i would take out the opening sentence. It is a repeating example that you can use in one of your body paragraphs. Over all this is a good essay. Just some small changes, but good work.
First I would like to make the mostly inconsequential comment that you ought to list the page number your quote came from, just for reference.
You do a very good job providing examples of history- You comparison between the HIV infected baby and the Pyncheon family struck me as a very succinct example of ways in which history affects the present in ways that are irreversible, untouchable, but have very serious implications. You show that this theme of history is "well-founded" as the prompt demands.
Your example "what if I had never been born" is not as good as the previous example. The theme of history should not be investigated as a simple cause and effect. I believe it would be a mistake to say "Pyncheon hurts Maule, Maule curses Pyncheon, the family suffers." While true, simply stating cause and effect misses the deeper meaning behind Hawthorne’s work, which I see as SHAME of history. The family suffers because its gains are ill-gotten.
Overall a strong essay, I like how you blended the two parts of the assignment together... This does not look like two separate papers, but you really lose steam at the end. I have difficulty seeing the point of the final paragraph, which once again looks into raw cause-effect history. Instead of wrapping together the essay, you just rehash.
BP
Like your two readers, I enjoyed your quote and thought your introduction was very readable. *However,* I’m not sure if you’re really reading the quote very well - I mean, it’s about “the popular imagination” - which hints that people imagine a different history than the real one. So there’s a gap here, which you’re seemingly missing, between perception and reality.
In the second paragraph - rich with uncited quotes, which is annoying - you have an opportunity to move from *theme* to *concept* (which is what the assignment calls for). What *understanding* of this theme of history do we see at work in Hawthorne? You have the raw material to make that leap, but don’t take it.
I agree that the metaphor of the baby with HIV is clever; you could have done more by focusing upon it, or even by using it, in turn, to interpret the book (HIV is also something, to return to my first comments, where perception and reality are broadly separated). As Brian notes, you lose your focus in the last paragraph - there’s nothing there beyond cliche.
Overall: You’re finding and collecting the right quotes, but Brian is still right that you lose your focus, despite doing a good job of blending the two parts of the assignment. Why? Because you are speaking simplistically in terms of cause & effect; like Brian says, that’s not exactly the concept of history Hawthorne is working with - indeed, in your opening quote the “cause” might be more the public’s mistaken understanding of history, rather than the actual history, just as a starting point.
Sean - This is a vague, half-hearted response which couldn’t conceivably have done much to help Jonathan.
Brian - very good, detailed response
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