The Necessity to Adapt

Accepting change is an extremely difficult thing for anyone. Those who grow up with a closed mind, and do not nurture that closed mind in early adulthood will find themselves fixed in that thinking, quite possibly, for the rest of their lives. To break such thinking nears impossibility.

Ah, aristocracy. There is nothing like ingraining rich kids with the idea that they are better than the poor kids. Class distinctions are a hard thing to break. Though on a smaller level, they still exist today. The well-off, the outwardly beautiful, and those who come from a certain pedigree(think the Kennedys) fall into the "popular" group in our high schools. Because of their status, they are often favored by the administration, the teachers, and the coaches. Eventually, however, once graduation has passed, the playing field is leveled a bit. Being a member of a rich or prominent family still helps later in life, whether it be obtaining a job or entrance into a special school.

Lets return back to our story. We have discussed time and time again how the house symbolizes Hepzibah. Both are aristocratic, representing the old way. The Pyncheon pedigree is in shambles. The House of the Seven Gables is in shambles. Hepzibah has been in shambles for a while. No one really cares about the aristocracy anymore. Hepzibah needs to adapt in order to survive.

And so she does. We meet Hepzibah at her moment of transformation. She is doing what is necessary for survival. The house, interestingly enough, is adapting as well. To preserve itself, it has allowed its entryway to be converted into a shop. Both are adapting.

Hawthorne continues this parallel between Hepzibah and the house when Phoebe arrives. Phoebe, whom we have discussed as symbolizing sunshine, not only brightens up Hepzibah (and Clifford) upon her arrival, but one of the first things that she does is change the mood of the house. She brightens it up with flowers. The transformation continues, and the house survives.

But will this be enough for the House of Seven Gables and its old maid? We shall see.

WC: 350