The House of 7 gables is surrounded by a plethora of history from the family who used to inhabit it, the people who lived in the town, and the town itself. While the author of the"House of Seven Gables" gives the house a mysterious, scary twist, the house is actually thought to be one of romance also, as the author also hints at. The house is now a museum site where tourist can take a tour inside the house. This house is located in what used to be Salem, Massachusetts, known most for the Salem Witch Trials. Salem was established in 1626 by Roger Conant and a group of immigrants from Cape Ann. Later, in 1628, they were joined by another group of immigrants led by John Endecott.
The people who immigrated to Salem were known as "Puritans", who are people who followed the teachings and ideas of John Calvin, a leader in the Protestant Revolution. The Puritans believed that the Church of England was beyond "repair" so to say, thus causing them to be persecuted. To escape such persecution, the group came to America.They followed the Bible harshly and believed in conversion, not repression, though their actions showed repression. The Puritans banned dancing, religious music and erotic poetry. Dancing and erotic poetry, in their beliefs, led to immorality and religious music caused one to be put into a "dreamy" state which was not helpful when listening to God. As seen in the "Crucible", most anyone who went against these rules was a witch.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, author, and coincidentally, previous inhabitor of the House of Seven Gables, was also born in Salem On July 4th, 1804 (Nice birthday huh?) to Puritans John and Elizabeth Hawthorne. His birth home was located on 27 Hardy Street, where the house remains a museum. His father, John, was one of the judges in the Salem Witch Trials, and when he died in 1808, his mother took on a life of seclusion.Of course, as we know, Nathaniel Hawthorne is the author of the "House of Seven Gables" and the "Scarlet Letter." Since we are now reading "House of Seven Gables", it's best to go into detail on the inspiration of this writing opposed to the others. Hawthorne based his story on a curse that supposedly was put on the family from a WOMAN who was put to death during the Salem Witch Trials. This curse is then the cause of the decline of the Pyncheon's home. The curse is ended when a descendant from the killed woman marries a niece of the family. Of course this is a story that could or couldn't be true, but it certainly makes a good plot.
Nathaniel Hawthorne dies May 19th, 1864 while in the middle (not literally) of writing a journal of his travels. His work, like many famous authors, lives on and gives snippets into the life of him, his family and many of the people of Salem. Nathaniel Hawthorne is certainly an author that is deserving of credit for his writing and the eye it gives us back into the early days of the country in which we inhabit.
Works Cited
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2229.html
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/architecture-and-design/the-house-of-the-seven-gables.shtml
You have such great information here! It really helps put a context to the book, and a background of the author.
ReplyDeleteGreat Facts! I feel like i have a closer connection to the author and the book now that I know all this stuff(:
ReplyDeleteThis is really awesome. I love all the interesting facts. One thing I thought was extra interesting was that in the book Hawthorne changed it to a man who said the curse, instead of a woman. Do you think there was a reason for that, or just because? Maybe some weird, sexist, patriarchal thing? And also I think it's kinda spooky that his parents' names were John and Elizabeth....PROCTOR???? :)
ReplyDeleteLol. Wow, I didn't think of the correlation there. It's possible they changed the gender to keep the stereotypical thought of women always committing witchcraft during this time down.
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