Throughout the novel, the village has been as guilty
of myopia as the inhabitants of the house; the last chapters serve
as an across-the-board rejection of popular opinion, the most pertinent
example being the way in which the Judge’s reputation comes tumbling
down so rapidly. Before his death, the Judge’s only guilt seemed
to be his unjust treatment of his cousin, and even that was seen
exclusively through Hepzibah’s eyes. With his death from apoplexy,
however, the floodgates are suddenly opened. Now, not only does
his attempt to extort property from Clifford become apparent, but
the rumors that he is a thief, and responsible for the older Jaffrey’s
death, snowball. The speed with which these truths is revealed is
remarkable, but it also leaves room for doubt, and the fact that
the novel prefers to call this gossip rather than absolute truth
allows Hawthorne to both smear his villain and make us marvel at
how quickly, and maybe even unfairly, popular opinion can make or
break reputations. The character of Uncle Venner substantiates this
point, as he is the novel’s wisest personality but confesses that
he was once thought to be rather simple.
On the surface, the union of Phoebe and Holgrave seems
like the quintessential fairy-tale romance, and the marriage between
the two families ties up many of the novel’s loose ends. Holgrave’s
reform is phrased with such regret, however, that it is hard to
accept this interpretation. His love certainly seems genuine, but
it comes at a high price, and in Chapter 20 Phoebe
herself protests Holgrave’s promise to settle down. Of Clifford’s
little band, Holgrave is the only one whom the novel scorns for
moving to the Judge’s estate, a telling moment of sarcasm on the
author’s part. Phoebe’s joking with Holgrave about his wishing for
a stone house seems good-natured, but his reply is specifically
and unmistakably characterized as “half-melancholy,” a word which
seems to point to reluctance on Holgrave’s part. In fact, Holgrave,
a onetime free spirit, seems to be held prisoner by a sense of the
inevitable, and his entire proposal to Phoebe is tainted as a result.
While Holgrave loves Phoebe, his later lack of enthusiasm makes
his decision to marry her seem more like a gesture of resignation
than of passion. Consequently, it is hard for us to enjoy Clifford
and Hepzibah’s good fortune. It is difficult to celebrate their
release from captivity when another character seems to be headed
toward similar confinement.
