How does Colonel Pyncheon die?

How does Colonel Pyncheon die?

Hawthorne’s explanations for the cause of Colonel Pyncheon’s death are inconsistent. The prominent Boston physician John Swinnerton studied the body and concluded that Pyncheon died of apoplexy.

What is the book The House of the Seven Gables about?

The House of the Seven Gables, romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1851. The work, set in mid-19th-century Salem, Mass., is a sombre study in hereditary sin, based on the legend of a curse pronounced on Hawthorne’s own family by a woman condemned to death during the infamous Salem witch trials.

How does the House of the Seven Gables end?

Originally a grand place, it falls into disrepair, as does the family. It is only when the remaining family–Clifford, Hepzibah, and Phoebe–leave that the curse is broken. The House of the Seven Gables is left to collapse into itself, a testament to the fact the curse has ended.

Is Holgrave a Maule?

Holgrave is a wayfaring, twenty-two-year-old man, one who has held a variety of jobs. He is now a daguerrotypist, an early-day photographer. As a Maule, Holgrave has the gift of mesmerism; but unlike his forefathers, despite his own lust for power, he does not use that power on Phoebe when he has the chance.

Does Judge Pyncheon die?

What’s more, once Judge Pyncheon has died, he has lost his opportunity to atone for his sinful behavior towards his cousin Clifford. As the narrator points out, “the Avenger is upon [him]!” (18.26). He has lived his life, and now it’s Judgment Day.

Who is Uncle Venner?

Uncle Venner is Hepzibah’s neighbor, a fixture on Pyncheon Street. He’s an old, wrinkled, nearly toothless man, and he does odd jobs in the neighborhood to support himself, also collecting scraps for his pet pig. He has a poetic sort of wisdom that belies his simple, ragged exterior.

Why is it called the House of the Seven Gables?

NRHP reference No. The House of the Seven Gables (also known as the Turner House or Turner-Ingersoll Mansion) is a 1668 colonial mansion in Salem, Massachusetts, named for its gables. It was made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 novel The House of the Seven Gables.

What is the curse in the House of the Seven Gables?

Of course, the legend goes that Matthew Maule put a curse on Colonel Pyncheon, that “God will give him blood to drink!” (1.4). When Colonel Pyncheon is found dead on the day of his housewarming party while sitting under his own portrait, the story of Maule’s prophecy really starts to take hold.

What was Mr Holgrave’s occupation?

He has held a variety of jobs, such as dentist, editor, and hypnotist; he currently works as a daguerreotypist.

Why is Phoebe attracted to Holgrave?

Holgrave says the chickens must like Phoebe because they recognize that she is part of the Pyncheon family. As a result of Hepzibah’s warnings, Phoebe is initially cautious around Holgrave, but he is a compelling figure, and she is soon drawn in.

Who is Hepzibah pyncheon?

Hepzibah Pyncheon is the last in a long line of Pyncheon aristocrats. Hepzibah is strongly devoted to her brother, Clifford, even though he is absent for thirty years and refuses even to look at her when he returns. By the end of the novel, Clifford comes to trust Hepzibah. He allows her to care for him.

Who is Clifford pyncheon?

Clifford Pyncheon is Hepzibah’s brother and Judge Pyncheon’s cousin. He’s the poor sap who Judge Pyncheon framed for murder 30 years before the events of the novel. We get to see the “before” in the miniature portrait of Clifford as a young man that Hepzibah carries around with her. …