Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. Who would you
say is the principal protagonist of
The House of the Seven
Gables? Who is the principal antagonist?
2. In the Preface,
Hawthorne claims his book is a romance rather than a novel. Romances
need not deal with “everyday, ordinary things” and usually incorporate fantastic
elements. Do you think that
The House of the Seven Gables is
more of a romance or a novel? Should it be classified as another
genre altogether?
3. Discuss the
role of “fate” in the novel. How much of the Pyncheons’ bad luck
is caused by fate, and how much results from their own actions and
choices?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Discuss the presence of decay
and decaying things in The House of the Seven Gables. What
does decay symbolize in the novel?
2. Can Clifford be considered
a good person? How is his goodness or malice reflected in the way
he treats Phoebe
and Hepzibah?
3. Discuss the role of hypnotism
and mesmerism in The House of the Seven Gables.
4. How is Phoebe different from
all the other characters in the novel? Does she resemble any one
character more than the others? If so, why?
5. Why does Hepzibah continue
to refuse the Judge’s offers of financial help? Can these offers
be viewed as genuine, or are there by ulterior motives?
